Netball: This could be our year, say Diamonds

Diamonds co-captain Anna Rowberry believes her side are coming together slowly but surely as they strive for a semifinal spot in the National Bank Cup.

The new-look Diamonds have a win and a loss so far in the competition and should be able to add to their points tally tonight when they line up against the Capital Shakers in the first of four home games at their new base, Waitakere's Trusts Stadium.

One of the competition's underachievers, expectations are high for the Diamonds this season following the recruitment of experienced shooters Jodi Te Huna, Jo Morrison and Carron Jerram, and defender Stephanie Bond.

But with a disrupted pre-season due to Silver Ferns and New Zealand under-21 commitments the question is: can this Diamonds team get it together in time?

Already the teams that have maintained the same core of players in recent years - the Southern Sting, Otago Rebels and Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic - are proving difficult to beat.

"It would have been nice to have had more time together before the National Bank Cup so that when we started we were hitting our straps straight away, but that wasn't to be," said Rowberry.

"We are a new side and it is going to take a while before we all gel but, each game, we are showing signs that we are getting it together.

"So hopefully by the final few rounds we'll be really under way."

The Shakers have struggled to retain players in recent years and although they have reasonably strong defenders in Kylie Young and Cushla Lichtwark and experienced midcourters, it is expected the Diamonds will out-muscle them in all areas of the court.

"A team like the Shakers can always come out and upset a team like the Diamonds," Rowberry said.

"They are a pretty dogged side as well. We will be looking to have more of a consistent start.

"I think we have shown for the last few weeks that it has taken a while to get into it."

While the Diamonds and Shakers game could be reasonably close, the match of the round takes place in Dunedin where Lois Muir's Otago Rebels go head-to-head with the defending champions, the Southern Sting.

The Rebels have looked sharp in their opening two matches. Anna Scarlett's long limbs have caused her opponents all sorts of difficulty while at the other end of the court Angela Mitchell and Katie Ritchie have been particularly effective under the hoop.

The Sting's campaign started off a little shaky with a less-than-convincing eight-goal win over the Flyers, but they racked up a 20-goal win over the Shakers last weekend.

The Sting's indifferent start may be the result of losing instrumental midcourter Adine Wilson through injury.

They sit at the top of the table alongside the Magic who have looked the slickest unit so far in the competition.

"You may have teams that are performing well now but it is who can pull through in the end that really counts," Rowberry said.

"We are just hoping as a team that we are going to gradually get better in each game so that when we need to pull out the big ones we are able to do that.

"We are pretty confident. I think all the players know the capability of our side and the potential that we have got and there is a real sense of 'this is the year we can do it' ... it is fair to say we have never had that feeling before."

Another match to keep an eye on this weekend is tomorrow's clash between the Northern Force and the Canterbury Flames at the North Shore Events Centre.

The Force had a shocker last weekend against the Magic but Silver Fern Temepara George should give them an edge in the midcourt tomorrow.

ROUND THREE

Today: Flyers v Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic, Napier 4pm, Otago Rebels v Southern Sting, Dunedin 7pm, Auckland Waitakere Diamonds v Capital Shakers, Trusts Stadium 7.30pm.

Tomorrow: Northern Force v Canterbury Flames, North Shore Events Centre 1pm.