Southern Steel centre Wendy Frew (left) tries to get the
ball off Central Pulse wing attack Ngarama Milner during
the pre-season tournament in Queenstown. Photo by NZPA.
Her name might have changed during the off-season but
Wendy Frew's goals are still the same.
The mid-courter formerly known as Wendy Telfer - she married
Trent Frew on New Year's Eve - wants to help her beloved
Steel make the ANZ Championship play-offs for a second time
in three years and then push for the title.
It is a lofty goal considering the Invercargill-based team
has lost some key personnel. Experienced duo Adine Wilson and
Donna Wilkins are unavailable, veteran defender Megan Hutton
has retired and Silver Ferns defender Katrina Grant has
transferred north to the Pulse.
Offsetting those departures are Silver Ferns defender Leana
de Bruin, who has transferred south from the Magic, and
returning experienced former Australian shooter Megan Dehn.
Dehn, who was called in to the Steel last season when Daneka
Wipiiti pulled out partway through the campaign, will captain
the side, with Frew deputising.
While Dehn will wield the most power during those on-court
huddles, it is up to players such as Frew to shoulder more of
the load.
"It is up to few of us to step up and make sure we work hard
and be the leaders on and off the court," Frew said.
"Experience is not the thing you just get; you've got to be
in those pressure situations.
"But everyone is very committed and excited about the year
ahead and we all want the same result at the end of the day."
The Steel showed promising form during a pre-season
tournament in Queenstown, winning three and drawing one of
its five games.
And this weekend's pre-season Netball Cup tournament at
Sydney Olympic Park is another step up as the Steel builds
towards its opening ANZ Championship game against the West
Coast Fever in Invercargill on March 21.
"We were reasonably happy [with how we went in Queenstown].
Obviously, we would have liked to win all five matches but
there were some good teams there.
"We were a bit disappointed to draw with the Firebirds on the
Saturday night. But apart from that there were some really
good things come out of the weekend and it was certainly a
good stepping stone for us as a team."
The Steel's opening match in the Netball Cup is against the
Pulse, and later today it will play last year's runners-up,
the Adelaide Thunderbirds.
Tomorrow is a big day, with games against the New South Wales
Swifts, the West Coast Fever and defending champions the
Melbourne Vixens.
The Steel rounds out the tournament with a match against the
Queensland Firebirds on Sunday.
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