Magic coach Noeline Taurua thrust bench-warmer Tuki into unfamiliar territory last week as she summed up her defensive options for the first time after losing valuable import Peta Scholz to a season-ending injury.
Keeping an open mind about a replacement player, Taurua nonetheless liked what she saw from Tuki.
With great aerial skills, a long reach and a deceptive turn of speed, Tuki has struggled to make her mark as a shooter but has all the attributes to perform at the opposite end of the court.
Lacking time to make the full transition in her play, Taurua thinks she can still be an asset defensively.
"Jess has responded really well and very positively to being a defensive option," Taurua said.
"She is going to be playing some club games over the next couple of weeks in that position and if anything it has given her a new lease of life. It's another string to her bow and given her another way of looking at things."
Taurua has "three working options" up her sleeve for the make-up of her back three and it is now a matter of waiting to see how the game unfolds against the Steel to find out which works best.
"I'm pleased with the progress we've made (defensively) over a week but if anything it has put the emphasis back on the attackers and that the possession of ball is critical," Taurua said.
With a lot of emphasis and speculation centered on their defence, the Magic showed some promising movement on attack while clocking up 72 goals against the Canterbury Tactix last week.
"The shape of the attack was the best of the season and I was really pleased with last week's game," Taurua said.
"There's some genuine connections starting to happen and I think there's a nice confidence underneath with the players because they're finally feeling that they are connecting.
"There are still individual errors but it's less than what it's been so those incremental improvements are happening from game to game."
With the Steel in survival mode and playing at home, Taurua is expecting a big challenge as the Magic chase an eighth straight win. Steel are the only New Zealand franchise to have beaten the Magic when they recorded a four-goal win in 2008.
The Magic won their first meeting this season, in round two, by six goals.
Taurua has a high regard for the Steel, who are renowned for doing the simple things well and keeping hold of the ball.
"In the attack end, Megan (Dehn) acts as the third feeder from goal attack and does a lot of work with their forward movement," Taurua said.
"Defensively, they've got big units and we struggled with that last time we played them - big girls that shut down the space and go for the ball."
Steel goalkeeper Leana de Bruin, looking to regain spot in the Silver Ferns, is having a fine season and often troubles Magic shooting maestro Irene van Dyk while goal defence Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit has also impressed this year.
