The game against the Pulse in Napier today will mark the first time former Steel coach Robyn Broughton has led a team against the Steel in an ANZ Championship match.
Broughton left the franchise in controversial circumstances at the end of last season. The Steel decided to advertise for a coach as part of its succession plan.
Broughton took it as a sign she was not wanted and made the move north.
Broughton is a highly respected member of the Southland community, having led the Sting to seven titles in 10 years and the Steel to playoff appearances in 2009 and 2010.
If there is any animosity between the camps, Finch certainly has not noticed.
"There has been nothing said about it," Finch said.
"It has been really quiet and even around the community; you don't hear much about it. The team is just getting on with it, which has been really good."
Finch, who replaced Wendy Frew in the side when the former Silver Ferns midcourter pulled out because of pregnancy, might be a newcomer to the franchise but she is certainly no stranger to the region. The 30-year-old primary school teacher spent the last four years with the Canterbury Tactix but honed her netball skills with the Otago Rebels.
She grew up in Balclutha and will return to the South Otago township, where she will be based for the duration of the tournament. So it is a homecoming for Finch, who said the move south had been seamless.
"It has been so easy to transition into the team. I'm familiar with every part of the community and there are a lot of players in the team I've played with before," she said.
Finch played alongside Jodi Brown and Demelza McCloud at the Rebels in 2007. That side was coached by Janine Southby, who is now co-coach of the Steel. It is a Rebels revival of sorts.
"I got a text from Angela Mitchell [former Rebels shooter] saying it is great to see so many Rebels back," Finch said.
The Steel's shock win against the Magic was a fabulous way to silence a few critics and give some of the younger players in the squad a sense of belief. But Finch said the team was careful not to get too carried away with what was just a good start and nothing else.
"It is only one win and you have to go back down to earth. We enjoyed the night but we've got 12 games to go."
That good start could be squandered with a loss to the Pulse or the Canterbury Tactix in Christchurch next week.
The Steel has never lost to the Pulse and there are a lot tougher teams in the competition than the Tactix.
"You go out to win every game but you definitely target teams and we've had good success against the Pulse and Tactix," Finch said.
While the Pulse has struggled, especially in the first three years of the tournament, there is a sense the Wellington-based franchise is improving. Broughton's appointment has helped and the acquisition of defenders Joline Henry and Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit, and the return of Paula Griffin, has given the squad a more potent appearance.
The Pulse had a narrow loss to the highly rated Northern Mystics in Auckland on Sunday but would have drawn plenty of confidence from a promising performance.
The battle between Steel shooters Donna Wilkins and Jodi Brown and Pulse defenders Katrina Grant and Selby-Rickit will likely have a big impact on the outcome of the match.
