KEY POINTS:
An off-court melee is forming across the Tasman for places in next year's new competition between the world's top two netball nations.
Six states have put in bids for Australia's five places in the Tasman Trophy - and none are about to back down.
While New Zealand franchises
have worked together to put five "expressions of interest" forward for their five spaces, Australia's big netball states have stuck to their guns and put in individual bids.
New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Queensland, ACT and Western Australia have all put forward nominations.
All are represented by club teams in their national league, the Commonwealth Bank Trophy.
The state likely to have to fight hardest is ACT.
The Canberra Darters have struggled in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy, last year failing to win a game in 14.
Netball ACT says it is 100 per cent serious in its bid for a place.
It had already secured sponsorship and gained assistance from other successful Canberra sports teams - the Brumbies, Raiders and basketball Capitals - to put together its bid. Although ACT has been the nurturing ground for many of Australia's great netballers, coming through the Australian Institute of Sport, the AIS is not part of the ACT proposal.
One of the strongest bids has come from Netball NSW, which said it had been "extremely difficult" to put in one united bid, after supporting two teams - the Sydney Swifts and the Hunter Jaegers - in the Commonwealth Bank Trophy.
Rules of the new competition make it clear there can be only one team from each state.
Australian state bodies are now being interviewed by Netball Australia, with recommendations to go before the national board on May 5.
Netball Australia says it is pleased with the strong interest in the 17-week Tasman Trophy, but said it would not comment further on any of the bids.
Despite suggestions that the competition be expanded to 12 teams - six from either nation - next year's inaugural trophy, starting in April next year, will stick to 10 sides.
Netball New Zealand will confirm its five teams around the middle of next month.
Round 4
* Tomorrow: Flames v Flyers, Christchurch, 4pm; Sting v Magic, Invercargill, 4pm (live TV One).
* Sunday: Diamonds v Shakers, Trusts Stadium, Waitakere, 1pm; Force v Rebels, Dunedin, 1pm (live TV One).
