Questions which have been brewing for the past few months will be answered when the Southern Steel plays its opening game in the ANZ championship against the NSW Swifts in Sydney tonight.
Southern netball fans have been increasingly on edge as the days ticked down to the Steel's debut. Their minds have been in turmoil contemplating whether the new Otago-Southland combined team will be able to replicate the Sting's unparalleled success in the National Bank Cup and wondering who will be in the starting seven.
Since Australia won the netball world championships in Auckland, concern has been growing steadily on this side of the Tasman that Australian sides will be too strong.
The Melbourne Vixens outclassed the Central Pulse 50-33 in the opening game of the tournament in Wellington on Saturday.
The Steel and the Swifts are the reigning domestic champions. But both sides have lost key personnel and, despite their reputations, will start with a blank slate.
The Swifts are missing defensive dynamo Liz Ellis, who retired after leading Australia to a world championship win last year and will look to experienced Australian squad member Rebecca Bulley to strengthen an underpowered defensive unit.
The Swifts' strength lies at the other end of the court, with veteran Australian shooter Catherine Cox and lethal shooter Susan Pratley forming a formidable duo.
Pratley was the most accurate shooter in the Australian league last year, landing 344 of her 387 attempts and averaging 24.6 goals a game. Cox was also in the top 10 with 83% accuracy.
With a talented midcourt of Kimberlee Green, Selina Gilsenan and Leah Shoard, Pratley and Cox are sure to get plenty of opportunities.
The midcourt shapes as a key battle ground for the Steel. With veteran Jenny-May Coffin, Silver Fern squad members Liana Barrett-Chase and Debbie White and Wendy Telfer all competing for court time, the visitors should be fizzing and, on paper, look to have a slight edge.
Underrated goal-keep Megan Hutton has returned from the UK superleague in time to bolster the defence end. Her combination with recent Silver Fern inductee Katrina Grant and Erika Burgess at the back might lack a little polish, given her having barely trained with the side.
Most of the pressure will come at the other end. The Steel has not shot particularly well during the pre-season. Former Australian international Megan Dehn is an experienced campaigner and Daneka Wipiiti is a potential matchwinner. But both landed fewer than 80% of their attempts in the National Bank Cup last year.
The back-up shooters, Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit and Julianna Naoupu are inexperienced.
Steel coach Robyn Broughton has lost a trio of Sting players no team could afford to lose. Donna Wilkins, Adine Wilson and Jenny Ferguson are all unavailable.
Wilkins will be courtside in her new role as assistant coach but her experience and accuracy inside the shooting circle is a big loss.
‘‘You can't replace experience like that,'' Broughton said.
‘‘You have to re-grow it. That wing-attack goal-attack combination between Adine and Donna was quite superb.''
The match will air live on Sky Sport 1 at 9pm.
