KEY POINTS:
There are two clear reasons for Australian sides getting the early jump in netball's transtasman competition, according to Southern Steel coach Robyn Broughton.
The inaugural ANZ Championship is just three weeks old but already New Zealand's teams find themselves shut out of the top four, admittedly on goal differential.
The Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic, Canterbury Tactix and Steel have all lodged two wins and a loss, the same as the four Australians above them.
The other two New Zealand sides are winless, with the Northern Mystics and Central Pulse both facing daunting matches across the Tasman this weekend.
The struggles of those two teams support early-season predictions that New Zealand doesn't have the same player depth as Australia to support five teams.
Broughton said that was true to a degree.
"They've got strong depth in particular key positions," Broughton said.
"When I look around the five Australian teams I see depth in their goal attack and goal defence positions which perhaps we don't have."
However, more pertinent was the extra time together the Australian teams had before the competition began, with New Zealand's squad announcements delayed until February.
"I would normally have had a lot more pre-season time," Broughton said.
"Usually I'd start on November 1 with the team so by the time you start the competition you're pretty settled into where you are and what you're doing."
The veteran coach of a Southland Sting side who dominated the New Zealand domestic game for the past decade, Broughton has had to add Otago players to the mix.
It was the sort of blending most of the other New Zealand coaches have been forced to undergo.
"I don't think the combinations were settled enough because of late preparation," she said.
"I've looked at most of the New Zealand teams and I think they're all struggling a bit in that respect."
However, Broughton expected the pendulum to gradually swing, citing the up-and-down nature of other professional transtasman competitions.
"It's a long, long competition and nobody can expect just to sweep through it. I'm sure there's going to be upsets and highs and lows for teams."
The seventh-placed Steel, fresh from a 51-42 upset of the Tactix on Monday, travel to Adelaide to face a Thunderbirds side who toppled competition favourites the Melbourne Vixens last weekend.
Vixens remained on top of the standings and travel to Christchurch to meet a Tactix side no doubt steaming about their flat effort against the Steel.
The other New Zealand team at home are the Magic, who will want to put a loss to the New South Wales Swifts behind them when they host a West Coast Fever side who are surprising many with their competitiveness.
Magic coach Noeline Taurua said her team were beginning to appreciate the unique challenges presented by all their transtasman foes.
"The Australians are very good grafters and will do the basic set plays over and over," Taurua said.
"They are very good at wearing you down. If things aren't going right in your team, there's also that added constant pressure of being worn down by them which takes its toll on your whole structure."
Pressure is mounting on the fancied Mystics but coach Yvonne Willering's team will get few favours out of the second-placed Queensland Firebirds, who dished out a 56-28 thumping of the Pulse on Monday.
It will take a major turnaround in form from the Pulse if they are to overcome the third-placed Swifts in Sydney.
- NZPA
