The province gets its national championship campaign under way against Southland at the Edgar Centre at noon today.
It is an important fixture for all the usual reasons. It is a derby match so there are bragging rights at stake, and both sides will be eager to make a positive start to the tournament.
That is plenty of motivation in itself but there are also six places still open in the Steel squad.
The franchise is likely to sign one or two other players and fill the rest of the roster with the best local talent available. So today's game will double as a sort of unofficial trial and, for the likes of Otago captain Jaimee Power, it is a golden opportunity to shine.
"It is huge," Power said.
"It is pretty much like a trial. A good team performance is key and that is how we should approach the game. But obviously that [trial] is in the back of your mind, as well."
The 21-year-old wing defence has an impressive playing resume. She made the New Zealand under-21 team and New Zealand secondary schools team as a 17-year-old in 2007 and stood out at age-group level as a player with a bright future.
She was selected for a useful Otago side in 2008 which included Debbie White, Phillipa Finch and Jessica Tuki.
Power made herself unavailable in 2009 and was selected again last season. Her promotion to captain ahead of the likes of former Silver Fern Jodi Brown and classy defender Louise Thayer is a huge vote of confidence in the athletic midcourter.
She is looking to repay coach Deb Tasi-Cordtz's faith by helping break the mould. Otago has made a habit of finish third, fourth or fifth since it last won the tournament in 1998.
But the first goal, though, is making sure Otago qualifies for the semifinals. To do that it needs to win at least three of its five round-robin games, no easy task with defending champion Canterbury and last year's beaten finalist Auckland-Waitakere boasting formidable line-ups.
Wellington and Bay of Plenty are the other two sides in division one.
Each team will play each other, and the top four teams will earn the right to contest the semifinals.
The bottom two placed sides will face promotion-relegation games.
In the second division, Western, Waikato, North, Eastern, Tasman and Counties Manukau will jostle for the right to play in the promotion match.
Otago's strength is at the attack end, with Steel shooters Brown and Te Paea Selby-Rickit shouldering the scoring responsibility.
"Our attack end is our stronghold but, equally, we look strong through the midcourt and we've got Lou [Louise Thayer] at the other end," Power said.
Thayer signed for the Steel last month and is an experienced and athletic defender. Otago's midcourt looks handy with Power and New Zealand under-21 players Shannon Francois and Gina Crampton.
Southland will look to Steel centre Wendy Frew to control the midcourt and the Central Pulse-bound Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit will anchor the defensive effort.
"Otago-Southland games are always an absolute battle so I'm really looking forward to it and having home game advantage," Power said.
"It will be extremely tight but I think we have the skill to do it."
National championships
Otago 2011
Jodi Brown, Te Paea Selby-Rickit, Kate Shearer, Gina Crampton, Shannon Francois, Jaimee Power, Miaana Walden, Louise Thayer, Greir Campbell, Sam Stewart, Kat Dimitrievska.
Coach: Deb Tasi-Cordtz
Otago's draw
• v Southland, Dunedin, September 3
• v Wellington, Porirua, September 11
• v Auckland-Waitakere, Dunedin, September 17
• v Canterbury. Timaru, September 24
• v Bay of Plenty, Porirua, September 28
• Playoffs, Porirua, September 29-30
