"I didn't have the last summer that I wanted to have ... I'm not captain this summer so it might improve, it might not. It's one of those things you never really know," says a philosophical Noema-Barnett.
The 27-year-old says he's here to help the Stags pull themselves out of a forgettable last season - they were last in the two abbreviated formats and second last in the first-class one.
"I'm just here to contribute to CD to see if they want me so we'll see how we get on."
Noema-Barnett has signed a three-year contract with Gloucestershire in a bid to play English county cricket, he reveals, hoping to play under former Black Caps coach John Bracewell's first team.
"We [CD] had a discussion and it's panned out this way. Like I said, I'm past that now and have something else to look forward to in my future with the move to England."
The former New Zealand Hong Kong Sixes representative holds the record for the fastest half century (from 14 balls) in the country in a T20 match against the Otago Volts in Invercargill in December 2010.
"I'm going to be a local in Britain so if I'm going to play cricket internationally it'll be for England but there's a lot of water under that bridge.
"I'm just going to see how good I can get and get into that county circuit. You know, play every day and see how good I can get."
The hard-hitting lefty's father, Neil, of Palmerston North, is a British passport holder.
"I have to go perform and earn the right to play in the first team but I'm certainly not going there with the intention of being in the second team."
Basically, it'll be a yardstick for Noema-Barnett who spearheaded the Stags to Plunket Shield bragging rights in 2012-13.
"I'll speak for anyone in CD when I say the reason we play is to win trophies," he says.
Winning the Plunket Shield under previous coach Alan Hunt, he says, was great but the Stags will need to work harder this summer under Malan who is in his second season.
"I don't want to be lost to CD cricket but at the same time I'm not sure how things will work out this summer.
"It's pretty undecided and it all happened very quickly so I'm not sure what's going to happen after that."
Noema-Barnett says the English contract has given him a bit more security but it's certainly not the main reason why he's going to ply his trade there.
"The reason I've signed up there is because I want to be involved with county cricket.
"I had nothing to lose to go over there and trialling and, as it's turned out, I've gained something as well," he says after a trial in Bristol and game time with a second XI last month.
Bracewell told BBC: "He will strengthen and support our developing group with his leadership experience."
Noema-Barnett also played for The Station Napier Old Boys' Marist under Bracewell's brother, ex-international bowler Brendon, who suddenly shut the doors to his academy in Napier to coach in Perth this summer.
Brendon's son, Black Cap Doug Bracewell, and Noema-Barnett are teammates and were flatmates before they crossed the floor to Taradale after Brendon quit NOBM to coach Ruahine Motors Ford Central Hawke's Bay last summer.
Having played T20 with the Volts in 2007, Noema-Barnett moved north to Manawatu with his family before debuting for CD in 2008-09.
"I've played six or seven seasons for CD now and it's a young group so I'd love to be still involved and keep playing and helping out the young guys because we have a good crop."
For someone who was typecast under the Dermot Reeve dynasty as a natural for the abbreviated version of the game rather than donning whites, Noema-Barnett showed a flip side when he dug his heels in during 2011-12 to eke out his maiden century for the Stags in an away four-day shield match against the Auckland Aces.
The former national under-19 representative is a right-arm medium pacer and found more success with the ball when his batting prowess deserted him.
He has played 38 first-class matches, 45 List A ones and 63 T20s.
"Gloucestershire are my employers now so they'll have control over what I do and where I go.
"I'd like to keep coming back to CD but I'm not sure if that'll happen."
Noema-Barnett played in the Netherlands for about eight weeks for Quick Cricket Club in The Hague.
"I played for [Taradale teammate] Luke Wright's club and I really enjoyed my time there and ended becoming national champions in Holland."
