Silver Ferns captain Lesley Nicol says her side are wary of what Australia have at either end of the court, but hints the midcourt could once again be where New Zealand have an edge.
New Zealand's experienced midcourt wrought havoc with the Australians in the last series and evenwithout instrumental captain Anna Rowberry are still a pretty formidable unit.
But Australia are not so stable. Following the retirement of veterans Rebecca Sanders and Nicole Richardson last year and now the unexpected pregnancy of gritty wing defence Peta Scholz and the injury to Susan Meaney, they are probably even more vulnerable than they were in the last series.
"With Catherine Cox coming back their shooting circle will still be strong despite having Sharelle [McMahon] out," Nicol said.
"They will be strong at both ends of the court whereas their midcourt, which has had quite a lot of changes, will be hard to read until we get out and play them."
The two most experienced players in the Australian midcourt are Alex Hodge (23 caps), who missed the last series through injury, and Natasha Chokljat (20 caps) who had a series she'd probably rather forget against the Silver Ferns in June.
Compare that with Adine Wilson's 42, Temepara Clark's 35 and Nicol's impressive 106, and New Zealand have a definite advantage.
The loss of Scholz is a huge blow for the Australians.
She has been a tireless worker since making her debut in 1999.
Nicol said it was hard to predict who Australian coach Norma Plummer would use to fill the wing defence void. Chokljat, Alison Broadbent and relative newcomers Jessica Shynn and Mo'onia Gerrard were all contenders.
"When you look at the players Australia bring in, because they have got so much depth having a greater population base, the players are generally just as strong the next tier down.
"It probably gives them an edge in the fact they have good players we don't know."
