Player movements during the off-season shook things up, putting all teams on even ground, and she predicted the season — which gets under way tonight between the Mystics and Steel — would be tightly contested.
"You’re going to have to make sure that each day, or each game, [you] really are on your A game, otherwise anything can happen," Bloxham said.
"I think that’s probably the biggest thing to me, there’s a lot of experience in each team and there’s also a little bit of youth and a little bit of the unknown about each team as well.
"I think it’s great for our competition to have that sort of variety and that sort of competitiveness."
Otaki helped the Steel hone its all round game. It was able to extend its lead in each quarter against the Stars, but had to grind out a one-goal win against the Magic.
"We had to sit in this space of discomfort and tension, I suppose, for a wee bit.
"It just allowed us to feel that pressure we know we’re going to be put under throughout the season and to see how we would react under that, so I think it was really good ... practise for us going forward."
The Steel has been transitioning its game without star shooter George Fisher, who was ruled out with a season-ending knee injury.
Former Stars training partner Eseta Autagavaia has signed as a replacement, and joined the team in Otaki and continued to grow in the Steel’s environment.
"Although it’s never nice to lose anyone, especially a player like George, it’s just given us a bit more time and I feel really comfortable with where Eseta’s at."
Saturday night netball has been a rarity in recent years, but that changes tonight when the Steel travels to Auckland to take on the Mystics in the season opener.
There was an "air of anticipation" ahead of the game, off the back of a good training week, Bloxham said.
But the Steel will be without shooter Saviour Tui (knee) and captain Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit (calf), who are working their way back to full fitness. Both are tracking well, with Selby-Rickit aiming to return for round two, while Tui is aiming for the next couple of weeks, after getting some national netball league game time under her belt. Training partner Jess Allan and former Steel defender Abby Erwood have been called in as replacements.
The Mystics will be tough first up, and are full of experienced heads with Phoenix Karaka and Sulu Fitzpatrick in defence, mixing with sharp attackers in Peta Toeava and shooter Grace Nweke.
Nweke — "a scoring machine" — has dominated the competition in the past two years and Bloxham knew her side needed to stop the ball before it reached her.
"I think we know what we’re in for.
"We know that they’re going to be at home, it’s game one and it’s going to be pretty tough.
"But we feel like we’ve had a couple of good days training, we’ve had a couple of good meetings to get ourselves prepared to understand our game plan going forward so I think our game plan, if we can execute it, will make for some very competitive netball and some exciting watching."
Centre pass is at 7.15pm.
ANZ Premiership
Trusts Arena, 7.15pm today
Steel: Eseta Autagavaia, Georgia Heffernan, Jess Allan, Sam Winders, Ivari Christie, Kate Heffernan, Renee Savai’inaea, Kate Burley, Courtney Elliott, Abby Erwood.
Mystics: Grace Nweke, Monica Falkner, Filda Vui, Tayla Earle, Peta Toeava, Michaela Sokolich-Beatson, Phoenix Karaka, Sulu Fitzpatrick, Carys Stythe, Katie Te Ao.
