Reinga Bloxham excited for Steel challenge

As she heads into her sixth season as head coach of the Southern Steel, Reinga Bloxham is as excited about the challenge as ever.

“Sometimes it still feels like (season) number one,” Bloxham told SouthlandSport.

“There’s always something to learn. You think netball is a relatively simple game but when you surround yourself with different players and management and other people it makes it a different landscape. I think that’s really good. I don’t feel comfortable in the job I’m doing, I’m always seeking more knowledge and thinking about ways we could improve. It still feels new and fresh and I don’t think I’d have it any other way.”

Bloxham’s Steel team will be watched more closely by the other New Zealand franchises after making a surprise run all the way to a home elimination final in 2021.

The departure of South African sharpshooter Lenize Potgieter and co-captain Gina Crampton before the 2021 season, and a preseason which saw the Steel struggle to even get close to their rivals, had done little to inspire confidence heading into last year’s campaign.

However, the unheralded combination of Tiana Metuarau and English goal shoot George Fisher provided an attacking flair which brought out the best in Steel’s mid and back court.

Like all teams trying to find their way, the Steel had to fight for everything they got. They were on the right side of some very close results in what was a very tight competition.

“The whole competition was like that, every game felt like a final, and every game was so tight,” Bloxham says.

“I think that’s a testament to the work all the teams did to get prepared. I think it makes for a really exciting competition but it was a hard slog and it was hard work to get a lot of those wins - sometimes they were pretty ugly but we took them anyway.”

Metuarau has gone home to the Pulse, but Fisher - a real fan favourite in Steel country - has made a welcome return.

Bloxham is excited about the variety that she will have at her disposal once Fisher and Shannon Saunders ease their way back into training after their England and Silver Ferns duties.

“In our defence end, even though we’ve got Te Huinga Reo, Renee (Savai'inaea) and Kate (Heffernan), who are the same, adding Kate Burley and Sarahphienna (Woulf) adds something different to the mix.

“That’s quite exciting to have two players who can play quite different defensive styles so that you can mix it up if you need to. Down the other end, we’ve got George Fisher back, we’ve got Shannon and then we’ve got two new goal attacks with Georgia Heffernan coming back and Saviour Tui. Even though it feels quite similar, it’s actually quite different.”

Fisher and Saunders aside, Bloxham has had the luxury of having the rest of her players in Invercargill throughout the summer, instead of having her squad split between here and Dunedin.

“We’ve been able to work on skill execution and building minutes to get used to match play. We’ve had a bunch of local players at that next tier who have come in to help out.”

With only limited outings available, and the Covid-enforced cancellation of the traditional Ōtaki preseason tournament, there is more of the unknown about the opening game against the Tactix in Christchurch on March 13.

“Now that we don’t get to see each other in Ōtaki, that first round of games is going to feel almost like the preseason hitout. It adds an element of surprise and unpredictability to the competition but I feel there’s a really even spread of players across the franchises.”

Of course, the Steel are also braced for what Covid-19 could do to the competition.

Like the other five franchises, they are practising strict mask and hygiene protocols and doing their best to protect their ‘bubble’ and who comes into it.

“Over the past two seasons, what (the pandemic) has taught us is that we have to be fluid and we have to roll with what’s in front of us. We’ve been really focused on those Covid protocols to ensure we can be as safe as we can for as long as we can.

“We know it’s coming and we know there’s a likelihood that we all might get a touch of it, but for us it’s making sure that over the next few weeks we give ourselves the best opportunity to go into the competition in the best nick and have the bulk of the team available. We are really mindful that things could change quickly, but hopeful things will go ahead as planned.”