The Southern Steel recorded a mixed bag at the SOPA Cup tournament in Sydney over the weekend.
After winning its opening two games on Friday night, beating the Central Pulse 35-31 and the Adelaide Thunderbirds 34-23, the side found the going tougher for the rest of the weekend.
On Saturday the side lost to the New South Wales Swifts 33-23 and then went down to the West Coast Fever 39-31.
They then drew with the Melbourne Vixens 32-all, before going down heavily in their final game yesterday 37-24 to the Queensland Firebirds, who impressed throughout the tournament.
Steel coach Robyn Broughton was pleased with her side's overall progress.
"We're all right. We just have to keep going and work on a few things. This tournament was really valuable from the point of view of identifying those things and getting them right," she said.
"We still need to make our game more consistent, patient and controlled . . . we've certainly got the speed, but you have to use it wisely."
With every team mixing up their line-ups, it was hard to take much out of the results.
Each game at the tournament comprised four 10 minute quarters instead of the traditional 15min spells.
Broughton said the exposure to all five Australian teams, along with other aspects like rule interpretation, proved invaluable.
"It was well worthwhile. I wouldn't want to go into the ANZ Championship not having experienced all the Australian teams."
She said the Australian sides were as usual looking fast and mobile.
Only defender Sheryl Scanlan and shooter Jade Topia did not play because of injury.
Steel training partner Kendall McMinn and Joanne Day, of New South Wales, were enlisted to provide cover.
The Steel's shooters struggled in the loss to the Swifts and a disappointing second half cost the side against the Fever.
By contrast, the Steel fought back from a 15-21 half-time deficit to salvage a draw with the defending champion Vixens.
The Firebirds got out to an early 12-4 lead, and the Steel could not get back in contact, despite a surge in the latter stages.
The Steel continues its pre-season campaign with games against the Canterbury Tactix and the Otago Lois Muir Challenge team in Dunedin this Saturday.
