KEY POINTS:
If coach Noeline Taurua is under pressure to engineer a netball three-peat for the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic, she's not showing it.
The Magic have won the National Bank Cup for the past two years and are again favourites to lay their hands on the silverware in the competition's swansong.
The eight franchises have their last chance to get their names on the cup, with the event giving way next year to the Tasman Trophy featuring five New Zealand and five Australian teams.
But no, there's no pressure, Taurau says about mounting a second defence of the title, which begins with the season opener against the Flyers in New Plymouth on Thursday night.
"If anything, I felt the pressure more last year when I wasn't too sure what to expect," she said.
"This year, I know what to expect and we have definite areas we need to work on."
Taurua has a different looking squad under her wing, with the arrival of former Silver Fern skipper Anna Stanley (nee Rowberry) among six changes.
The other new faces include England Under-21 shooter Asha Tett and New Zealand cricket representative Nicola Browne in defence.
Underpinning the Magic effort will be their New Zealand test quartet of Irene van Dyk, Joline Henry, Laura Langman and Casey Williams.
The Southern Sting, six times winners but bridesmaids for the past two years, welcome back experienced shooter Donna Wilkins (nee Loffhagen), who was pursuing her basketball career last season.
They have also signed the New Zealand A trio of shooter Daneka Wipiiti (formerly Force), midcourter Liana Barrett-Chase (Magic) defender Erika Burgess (Flyers).
Coach Robyn Broughton has named defender Jenny Ferguson as skipper ahead of Silver Fern captain Adine Wilson, citing Wilson's workload in world championship year.
"Adine is a wonderful Sting player and so supportive," she said. "She and Jenny are working really well together."
Broughton said it was the whole package in and around the team, including the Southland community, that was the key to the Sting making every one of the nine cup finals so far.
The only other side to have won the title are the Otago Rebels, who were the inaugural champions in 1988.
The Rebels have made more changes than anybody, with only three survivors in Angela Mitchell, Debbie White and Anna Molineaux from their second-bottom finish last season.
The additions include Silver Fern shooter Jodi Te Huna and Australian international defender Demelza Fellowes.
Te Huna said she couldn't wait to get started after a long recovery from the knee injury that scuppered her Commonwealth Games hopes a year ago.
"I'm just dying for a real game with real players, real umpires and a real crowd," she said.
"I've just been experiencing the tough times off court and I learned you certainly don't want to be sitting on the sidelines."
North coach Yvonne Willering has probably the strongest defensive depth in the competition after adding former Silver Ferns Vilimaina Davu and Sheryl Scanlan to her squad.
Davu, who retired as an international last year and is now Fiji coach, spent the past seven years at the Flames.
Her fitness could be an issue as she has been recovering from a car accident near Suva last month when she suffered bruised ribs and spent a couple of nights in hospital.
Scanlan is returning after the birth of her first child.
The pair will join Silver Fern Leana de Bruin and Samoan representative Lorna Suafoa as defence options, although Suafua is expected to miss the opening-round clash with the Sting in Invercargill, also on Thursday night.
North have always been there or thereabouts without becoming champions, their best finish being runners-up in 2003.
Their southern neighbours, the Diamonds, have retained most of their youthful line-up who ended mid-table last year.
Their most high-profile signing is veteran midcourter Jenny-May Coffin, who came out of retirement to play for Auckland Waitakere in last year's national provincial championship.
Their coach, former Australian international Sue Hawkins, said starting quickly in the competition was an imperative.
The single round-robin format to decide the semifinalists highlighted "the urgency of winning".
"I think that's the big thing I've learnt over here," she said. "With one round, you have no second chances."
The Diamonds first-up opponents on Saturday are the Flames, who have suffered the agony of being beaten finalists four times.
Coach Marg Foster has a real mix of youth and experience in her squad, skippered by veteran centre Julie Seymour, who celebrated her 36th birthday last week.
At the other end of the scale is 17-year-old schoolgirl Julianna Nauopu, whose first senior tournament was last year's national championships.
Mother-of-three Seymour, who won a recall to the Silver Ferns last year, said it was the belief that she could still improve that kept her motivated.
"I think I'll give it up when I can't get any better, but at the moment I still think I can make improvements," she said.
Meanwhile, perennial strugglers the Shakers and the Flyers, neither of whom have the same big name players as other squads, look likely to have their work cut out for them again.
The Shakers have retained the bulk of their roster from last year, including long-serving midcourter and skipper Frances Solia, who is into her ninth season with the franchise.
Coach Gail Parata said the team's pre-season programme, which included a trip to Australia, made her confident that her players could step up from last year, when they ended sixth.
The Flyers have suffered over the years from seeing their best talent leave for other franchises.
They have never finished higher then sixth and were wooden spooners last season.
Former New Zealand Secondary School coach Annette Pearce has taken over the helm and has plenty of youth to work with, while skipper Abbie Bailey-Nowell is back after a stint playing in England.
First round:
Thursday, April 5 - Flyers v Waikato/Bau of Plenty Magic, TSB Stadium, New Plymouth; Southern Sting v Force, Stadium Southland, Invercargill.
Saturday, April 7 - Flames v Diamonds, Westpac Centre, Christchurch.
Sunday, April 8 - Shakers v Otago Rebels, TSB Arena, Wellington.
SQUADS
Force: Leana de Bruin, Vilimaina Davu, Megan Dehn, Temepara George, Julie Kelman-Poto, Catherine Latu, Ritua Petero, Finau Pulu, Sheryl Scanlan, Lorna Suafoa, Brigette Tapene, Angelina Yates.
Diamonds: Stephanie Bond, Jenny-May Coffin, Rawinia Everitt, Paula Griffin, Helena Hoult, Amenda Payne, Grace Rasmussen, Rachel Rasmussen, Anna Scarlett, Nicole Scopes, Susan Tagicakibau, Maria Tutaia.
Waikato-Bay of Plenty Magic: Katrina Anderson, Nicola Browne, Nicola Cooney, Joline Henry, Laura Langman, Tanya Lund, Louise Moffat, Anna Stanley (nee Rowberry), Asha Tett, Irene van Dyk, Katurangi Waititi, Casey Williams.
Flyers: Abbie Bailey-Nowell, Amber Bellringer, Lauren Burgess, Candyce Edwards, Malu Fa'asavalu, Jodi Hikauroa, Hannah Kelly, Rebecca Kupa, Amanda Palmer, Lana Phipps, Hayley Stockman, Brooke Williams.
Shakers: Jamilah Gupwell, Sala Hide, Cushla Lichtwark, Ngarama Milner, Lovila Paki, Daya Pritchard, Nardia Roseli, Victoria Smith, Frances Solia, Gerardine Solia, Kylie Young.
Flames: Maree Bowden, Hannah Brand, Kate Dowling, Charlotte Kight, Elizabth Manu, Joanna McCaw, Erin McDuff, Julianna Nauopu, Shelley Norris, Julie Seymour, Jodi Tod, Jade Topia.
Otago Rebels: Hannah Broederlow, Danielle Calnan, Emily Close, Demelza Fellowes, Phillipa Finch (nee Duncan), Megan Graamans, Katrina Grant, Angela Mitchell, Anna Molineaux, Jodi Te Huna, Anna Thompson, Debbie White.
Southern Sting: Natalie Avellino, Sarah Barnes, Liana Barrett-Chase, Erika Burgess, Hayley Crofts, Jenny Ferguson, Megan Hutton, Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit, Wendy Telfer, Donna Wilkins (nee Loffhagen), Adine Wilson, Daneka Wipiiti.
- NZPA
