Vixens facing challenge to retain trans-Tasman title

Defending trans-Tasman netball champion Melbourne Vixens are favoured to retain the title, but face stronger opposition from their Australian rivals and at least a couple of the Kiwi teams.

The 10-team competition starts on Saturday, when last season’s beaten grand finalists Adelaide takes on the beefed up Mystics in Auckland.

The Vixens are the early betting favourite, having retained all their stars, but their Australian rivals have been active in recruiting.

“Geez, it’s going to be a tough year,” Vixens coach Julie Hoornweg, whose team starts their title defence at home to the Magic on Monday, said.

“There seems to be some pretty strong teams out there.”

Adelaide are one of three Australian teams, along with Queensland and West Coast, who have strengthened their attack end.

The Thunderbirds have recruited tall Jamaican shooter Carla Borrego, who could form a twin towers combination with another 193cm weapon, Australian squad member, Kate Beveridge.

The Thunderbirds lost Australian star Natalie Medhurst to Queensland, possibly giving the Firebird’s Jamaican superstar Romelda Aiken the support she has lacked in the last two seasons.

Queensland have been the outstanding pre-season team, impressing in tournaments in Queenstown and Sydney.

They will be pushing for a maiden finals appearance, along with West Coast, who are hoping their prolific shooter Caitlin Bassett will get much needed support from new shooting recruits, Leah Shoard and Jannelle Lawson.

Sydney, who slumped from first to ninth, have addressed their defensive deficiencies by signing England star Sonia McKoloma.

Swifts coach Julie Fitzgerald, who had never missed out on either the ANZ or Commonwealth Bank Trophy finals before last year, said NSW were aiming to return to the top four.

“We have reverted back to a few things. I think everyone is so keen to perform better this year,” added Fitzgerald whose team start their season against the Firebirds on the Gold Coast on Sunday.

Adelaide coach Jane Woodlands-Thompson felt her team could go one better than last year as Borrego could supply the Thunderbirds with some extra goals.

“We haven’t managed to get enough scores on the board and attempts to post, we were only eight in terms of that in 2008 and only fourth last year,” Woodlands-Thompson told AAP.

“We had to go for more strike power and search the world and came up with Carla, so we are counting on her to give us that edge.”

The Firebirds loom as a genuine title contender given their outstanding pre-season form and the potential of the Medhurst-Aiken combination.

“We’ve tasted success in pre-season and now that we’ve had that, we want to keep having it and keep building on it,” said new Firebirds captain Lauren Nourse.

Fever coach Jane Searle believed her exciting young team which includes emerging Australian team stars Susan Fuhrmann and Madison Browne can crack the top four.

“Even though other teams have recruited very well we’ve got a lot of growth still left in us,” Searle told AAP before leaving Perth for the Fever’s opening game against the Steel in Invercargill on Sunday.

Of the New Zealand teams, the Magic have recruited shooter Jodi Brown and former Australian wing defence Peta Scholz, but have lost Liana de Bruin to the Steel and two other Silver Ferns, Maria Tutaia and Joline Henry to the Mystics.

Tactix and Steel have each lost some key players and Pulse look likely to struggle again.

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© 2010 AAP