An ANZ Premiership season like no other gets under way this afternoon, but the crew from the Deep South are packed with promise.
The Steel came through the offseason relatively unscathed compared with other teams after retaining seven players from 2025.
They lost Silver Fern Kate Heffernan — now playing for the unbeaten Adelaide Thunderbirds — Abby Lawson, Summer Temu and Dakota Thomas, but the latter never took to the court due to injury.
But having Silver Ferns Georgia Heffernan, Kimiora Poi and Carys Stythe, former international Aliyah Dunn, New Zealand under-21 stars Serina Daunakamakama and Khayne-Lii Munro-Nonoa — who was a replacement player last year — and stalwart Renee Savai’inaea back is crucial.
Australians Jess Milne and Josie Bingham join from the Gold Coast Titans, while Ashleigh Poi, sister of Kimiora, earns her first contract after countless seasons with Mainland in the National Netball League.
It makes a nice blend of rising and international talent and some strong experience with Kimiora Poi, Dunn, Savai’inaea, Heffernan and Stythe boasting 426 domestic games between them.
"I think connections are huge," Steel head coach Wendy Frew said.
"Getting seven back from last year, it’s been really good this season going and looking at ... how we want to play the game and just kind of evolving from that slightly, so we’re not too predictable.
"We’ve obviously got a lot of experienced players who’ve been playing the game for a long time and some up and coming players that have got a big future ... then nice to bring Jess and Josie into the game with their Australian style too.
"Lots of exciting factors about the Steel for this season," she said.
The Steel have worked hard through their 10-week preseason with games at the Otaki tournament, against the Mainland Tactix and local men’s teams.
While Frew would have loved one more game, she felt her side adapted well and were pumped to finally get under way tonight.
"When you come into round one, there’s also a few nerves but just excitement to get out there and see where we’re at.
"I know as a coach you feel like you’re tracking well but there’s no better way to see where you’re tracking until you hit that round-one game and get into it."
There have been changes across the board, the Tactix and the Central Pulse hit the heaviest with seven newcomers.
The Mystics and the Steel are the only teams to retain their spine and there are more imports than ever scattered across the six teams.
Frew said the Steel’s focus was on themselves, knowing that the first couple of weeks of the 10-round competition would be crucial for scoping other teams.
It is also the second season of the new innovations, including two-point shots, timeouts and the coaches box, and teams are expected to attack those scenarios differently with experience under their belts.
The Steel get their campaign under way against the defending champion Tactix in Christchurch tonight.
The Tactix, who went undefeated at home in 2025 for the first time, last year won the Mainland-Canterbury region’s first title since the national league was introduced in 1998 and coach Donna Wilkins joined an elite club leading the franchise to the title in her first year in the role.
They have also have the wool over the Steel in recent seasons, winning the past 10 encounters between the two, the Steel last winning 71-54 in round one of 2022.
Wilkins and Frew are great mates from their playing days at the Steel, but that will be put to bed for 60 minutes tonight.
"It’ll be cool to come up against her," Frew said.
"We did the same last year and they obviously got up on us and got the win.
The Pulse host the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic in the afternoon game, while the Northern Mystics meet the Northern Stars tomorrow.
ANZ Premiership
Christchurch, 7pm
Southern Steel: Aliyah Dunn, Georgia Heffernan, Josie Bingham, Serina Daunakamakama, Kimiora Poi, Ashleigh Heffernan, Renee Savai’inaea, Carys Stythe, Khayne-Lii Munro-Nonoa, Jess Milne.
Mainland Tactix: Charlie Bell, Hannah Glen, Amorangi Malesala, Erikana Pedersen, Holly Mather, Parris Petera, Fa’amu Muliaga, Josiie Seymour, Laura Balmer, Ash Barnett.
Southern Steel
The draw
v Tactix, Christchurch, April 10
v Stars, Invercargill, April 18
v Mystics, Auckland, April 26
v Pulse, Invercargill, May 2
v Magic, Tauranga, May 9
v Pulse, Wellington, May 17
v Magic, Dunedin, May 23
v Mystics, Invercargill, May 31
v Stars, Auckland, June 7
v Tactix, Invercargill, June 14
Big questions
• New look
There have been 29 changes to the six franchises during the offseason, the Mystics and the Steel retaining seven players. Marquee Silver Ferns players are also plying their trade in Australia, making for a different competition.
• Second year
After introducing the two-point shot last year, will teams attack the last five minutes differently this season with experience under their belts?
• Off court
What does netball look like now that it returns to free-to-air television? Will there really be more eyes watching the sport?
