It is hard to imagine a worse build-up for the Steel for its opening match against the Northern Mystics in Auckland tonight.
A raft of injuries ruined the pre-season and has left coach Robyn Broughton ruing the team's rotten luck.
Shooter Daneka Wipiiti is nursing an ankle injury and will sit the game out, and two other players were ruled out yesterday.
Former Australian international Natasha Chokljat is struggling with a calf injury and, while Sheryl Scanlan has made good progress from an ankle injury, it has been decided she is not quite right for the opening game.
Their replacements in the squad are veteran shooter Tania Dalton, Otago defender Louise Thayer and rookie Gore midcourter Stacey Peeters.
"I can't believe all our bad luck," Broughton said.
"It has been really frustrating. And for the players that remain it has been like an overload.
"[Tonight's game] is going to be hard work but we have to take our chances and we have to go in to the game with a positive attitude.
"And we can take them by surprise with a few new players."
Of all the injuries, Wipiiti's has created the most panic.
Former Silver Fern shooter Dalton has been called in from the television commentary box as cover.
Dalton has not played top level netball since 2006, although she was called into the Steel squad in 2008 but never took the court.
Dalton's call up is, perhaps, an indictment of the strength of the Steel's bench.
Back-up shooters Te Paea Selby-Rickit and Sophia Fenwick are talented youngsters but it is a big step up from age group and national championship netball.
Nineteen-year-old Otago shooter Selby-Rickit will start at goal shoot and Paula Griffin at goal attack.
But if the untried combination starts to wobble, Broughton indicated she would not hesitate to put Dalton on the court.
Dalton has been keeping fit training for a marathon and playing club netball in Auckland.
"She is a fitness freak and would be fitter than any of them," Broughton said.
"I feel for Sophia, though. She is the under-21 shooter but she has a long way to go yet and she would be the first to say that."
There has been some relief for the Steel on the injury front.
Liana Leota and Leana de Bruin have recovered from injuries which sidelined them during the annual pre-season tournament in Queenstown and are expected to take the court tonight.
De Bruin has been a steadying influence at the back since joining the franchise last year.
Her combination with Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit has flourished, and Leota is a classy wing attack and much will centre around the work she does getting the ball through to Griffin and Selby-Rickit.
The Mystics are once again being billed as one of the New Zealand teams to beat.
Every year the experts take a quick look at the line-up, figure there are far too many quality players for the Auckland-based team not to make the playoffs, and then confidently predict this will be the year the tournament's greatest under-achiever delivers on its potential.
The Mystics have been a huge disappointment, finishing seventh in 2008, eighth in 2009 and sixth last year.
The franchise is on its third coach in four years with Debbie Fuller replacing Te Aroha Keenan, who had two years with the under-performing side.
Before that, even experienced coach Yvonne Willering could not get the best out of the group.
The Mystics have recruited extremely well in the past two seasons and do have an all-star cast.
The attacking end looks incredibly strong with Cathrine Latu, Maria Tutaia and Megan Dehn all quality options.
Latu is one of the best in the business and last season she was second only to Irene van Dyk in terms of accuracy with 411 successes from 448 attempts.
Tutaia played a starting role at the Delhi Commonwealth Games last year, when she helped the New Zealand defeat Australia in the gold medal match, and Dehn was a key member of the Steel side which reached the playoffs.
The acquisition of Silver Ferns defender Anna Scarlett will bolster the defensive end, although the loss of Althea Byfield offsets the gain somewhat.
Midcourt maestro Temepara George is a master at the link game and gives the Mystics a complete look.
Venue: Trusts Stadium Arena, Auckland
Time: 7.40pm
RECENT RECORD
2010: Auckland, Steel 50-42
2010: Invercargill, Mystics 52-49
2009: Invercargill, Steel 52-50
2009: Auckland, Steel 61-52
2008: Invercargill, Mystics 50-48
GAME PLAN:
The Steel has been left with a depleted line-up following the injury-enforced withdrawals of Daneka Wipiiti, Natasha Chokljat and Sheryl Scanlan. That means the likes of Paula Griffin and Liana Leota will need to step up. But most of the pressure is on the Mystics, with many critics picking the perennial underachievers to be the leading New Zealand team this season.
STEEL: Tania Dalton, Paula Griffin, Liana Leota, Erika Burgess, Wendy Frew, THR Selby-Rickit, Leana de Bruin, TP Selby-Rickit, Louise Thayer, Stacey Peeters, Hayley Saunders, Sophia Fenwick.
MYSTICS: Cathrine Latu, Maria Tutaia, Megan Dehn, Temepara George, Joline Henry, Anna Scarlett, Jess Moulds, Grace Rasmussen, Kayla McAlister, Bailey Mes, Rachel Rasmussen, Kayla Cullen.
