That will give its players plenty of motivation as it heads into next weekend’s ANZ Premiership pre-season tournament in Otaki.
It is a shift from recent years.
While the line-up has changed over that time, it has tended to be a tweak here and there, among a relatively settled core.
However, with five new players in the squad of 10, this year will provide a shake-up.
The side had been trialling different combinations in its pre-season games against the Central Pulse and Mainland Tactix.
But injuries to Renee Savai’inaea and Kiana Pelasio, an illness to Sarahpheinna Woulf and English shooter George Fisher being in quarantine had hampered that.
It left coach Reinga Bloxham with an open mind as to what her starting line-up would look like.
"I’d love to say yes, but no I’m not," Bloxham said.
"I still don’t think we’ve had the opportunity to test everyone yet.
"There are definitely units that look a bit stronger than others at the moment.
"But at this stage, still quite open, which is great going into next week.
"It means there’s still that competition to earn that bib and have a crack at owning that starting position.
"I think it might take a couple of weeks for that to settle and with George coming in that will change the dynamic as well."
The biggest void had been left at wing attack, a bib near exclusively filled by the departed Gina Crampton for six years.
Bloxham trialled the team’s long-time centre Shannon Saunders in that wing attack spot on Thursday night, with Ali Wilshier at centre. Saunders has excelled there.
Bloxham said it was a case of trying it to see how it went and that the duo had also been tried the other way around.
"I just wanted to make sure we had trialled it to see what it would look like.
"With Gina leaving, it leaves a gap in that wing attack space.
"Shannon plays a lovely wing attack game, she played nice short and sharp and was available on that centre pass.
"But it creates a gap at centre when you move her to wing attack.
"At the moment it’s just trying to see what might give us the strongest option."
Elsewhere, Fisher would seem likely to claim a starting shooting spot, while Tiana Metuarau seems a likely partner.
At the defensive end, Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit has been a mainstay in the circle and brings experience to the young side.
Young duo Woulf and Taneisha Fifita will fight for the other spot, while Savai’inaea is also capable of slotting back to goal defence.
The midcourt is more problematic.
Saunders will certainly fit in somewhere, while Kate Heffernan has excelled in the wing defence position in the past two years.
Wilshier and Savai’inaea both provide new quality in that mix.
