Tutaia to the fore with Mystics
A spate of injuries in the Northern Mystics camp is providing added challenges for coach Te Aroha Keenan as she attempts to mould together her new-look side.
Just four players remain from last year's squad after the Mystics launched an aggressive off-season recruitment campaign, snaring Silver Ferns Maria Tutaia, Joline Henry and Larrissa Willcox as well as star Jamaican defender Althea Byfield.
Rival ANZ Championship teams will today get their first glimpse of the revamped Auckland side, with the Mystics set to take on the Central Pulse and Southern Steel on day one of the pre-season tournament in Queenstown.
But with a number of frontline players struggling with injury niggles, the Mystics' defensive end will not be seen at full-strength this weekend, while down the other end of the court, their first-string combinations will only be used sparingly.
The most concern is over Silver Ferns defender Joline Henry, who joins the Mystics this season after nearly 10 years in the Waikato. Henry will not play at all this weekend as she is suffering from a calf strain, but Keenan said her withdrawal is a largely precautionary measure.Another key off-season signing, Jamaican import Althea Byfield, will have her workload managed over the course of the three-day tournament as she recovers from a shoulder injury.
With the Mystics light on defenders, Dunedin-based New Zealand under-21 player Jessica Moulds, who is originally from Whangarei, has been drafted in to the side as cover.Henry said she is disappointed to be sidelined this weekend, as it would have been a prime opportunity to fine tune defensive combinations with her new teammates.
"It's definitely not where I wanted to be at this stage. I would like to get out there and consolidate things and learn things about my new peers, but then I've still got a bit of time to do that." "Better it happen now than halfway through the season," the 40-test Silver Fern said.
Henry's injury has added a further complication to what has already been a very challenging pre-season.
The 27-year-old started the year out with a gruelling 10-day camp on the Gold Coast, where the Silver Ferns squad were put through their paces in readiness for what will be an extremely busy 2010. Upon returning, the former Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic captain has spent the past three weeks coming to grips with a new team environment and structures.
