Netball: Aussies already setting the pace

Magic shooter Jo Harten has been diagnosed with a sprained rib and may not face the Vixens on Sunday. Photo / Alan Gibson

Even with all the injuries, the Magic have been the most impressive of NZ sides over the opening rounds

After just two rounds of the transtasman league only three sides remain unbeaten.

Predictably, these are all Australian teams, with the Vixens, Fever and Swifts setting the early pace in the competition. If the New Zealand franchises weren't already thankful for the introduction of a new conference system, they will be now.

Here's what else we've learned from the opening two rounds.

Unlucky Magic still the pick of the Kiwi teams early on

Magic coach Julie Fitzgerald must be wondering when good fortune will fall her side's way after their casualty list increased again in round two.

After losing Courtney Tairi in their season opener with a ruptured Achilles tendon, the Magic then had to go without star shooter Jo Harten for the second half of their match against the Swifts after the English import took a nasty blow to the chest.

Harten has been diagnosed with a sprained rib and has been unable to take full part in training this week, putting her in doubt for Sunday's clash against the Melbourne Vixens.

Even with all the injury disruptions, the Magic have been the most impressive of the New Zealand sides over the opening rounds. The Waikato-Bay of Plenty side followed up a thrilling one-goal win over the Thunderbirds in Adelaide with a strong showing against the NSW Swifts in round two, let down only by a quiet final quarter.

Pulse looking much like last year

Home court advantage did little to improve the Pulse's fortunes against their Australian opposition. The Pulse extended their losing run against the Aussie sides to seven straight matches, with a 52-46 loss to the Queensland Firebirds last weekend. Already the Pulse's season is looking worryingly similar to last year, when the Wellington-based side were undone by their inability to beat the Australian sides. But after a 24-goal hammering at the hands of the Vixens in their opening round clash, Pulse coach Robyn Broughton was pleased with her side's improved effort against the Firebirds last week.

The Pulse pushed the Firebirds for the opening three spells, but as visiting captain Laura Geitz told her side at the three-quarter time break, the Pulse did not have the fitness to run with the Queensland side over the final 15 minutes. "These guys haven't done the work over the summer that you have," Geitz was heard saying from the team huddle.

The Swifts have some weaknesses

With the ability to field an all-international starting seven and still have some test match experience on the bench, the Swifts have been widely tipped as the title favourites this season. And while Rob Wright's side are one of the three unbeaten sides remaining in the competition after two rounds, the young Magic line-up exposed some chinks in their armour last week. Wright will be particularly concerned with how easily the Magic were able to rattle the Swifts' attack, with the visitors collectively shooting at just 77 per cent and committing an alarming 27 turnovers. It's not like they were up against one of the highly-vaunted defensive ends either - if you take captain Leana de Bruin out of the equation, the Magic were left with two 19-year-olds - Kristiana Manu'a and Jamie-Lee Price - running the defence end.

The umpires mean business

If the opening couple of rounds are any gauge, the umpires have been instructed to assert themselves on the game more this year.

The most notable incident last week was the "sin-binning" of Firebirds midcourter Gabi Simpson for three centre passes in her side's win over the Pulse after being warned for persistent off-side.

In the Swifts' win over the Magic, a penalty was reversed after Swifts captain Kim Green was ruled to have retaliated against Jamie-Lee Price.