Returning coach and player retention key mix for Steel
A local legend, Wendy Frew comes into her second year as head coach of the Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel wiser for the experience and armed with a stable roster for the 2026 ANZ Premiership season.
A towering figure during a decorated 16-year playing career in the Deep South, Frew’s Steel fell just short of making last year’s top-three for the Finals Series in her first venture as a head coach at the elite level.
Looking to build on her promising start, Frew has the luxury of stability, with seven from her team of last year returning, the Steel and Mystics having the least number of changes for the 2026 campaign, the continuity being an extra bonus.
"It’s really good as a coach, being in my second year, to have seven players back and knowing the culture we’re trying to create and, also, the style of netball we want to play,’’ Frew said.
"It’s pretty exciting and I’m certainly feeling grateful to get seven players alongside the three newbies in the team.
"Being a coach is a crazy journey. I certainly learnt so much last season, and will learn more stuff this year. As a coach you never know everything, so for me, it’s just about trying to be the best I can be, being a good leader for the girls and making sure that we’re preparing them in the best possible way to ensure that come April 11 they’re ready to go and ready to put in some good performances, for themselves, the franchise and all our fans.’’
Retaining well-performed shooters Aliyah Dunn and Georgia Heffernan, the potent midcourt duo of Kimiora Poi and Renee Savai’inaea alongside the dynamic young defensive pair of Khanye-Lii Munro-Nonoa and Carys Stythe, the Steel have experienced heads and productive performers across all thirds of the court. Creative young midcourter Serina Daunakamakama also joins the returning seven.
Rising young talent Ashleigh Poi joins her sister in the midcourt options while Gold Coast Titans duo Josie Bingham, a notable two-point shooter, and defender Jess Milne, a replacement player for the Queensland Firebirds in 2024, round out a talented mix.
"I’m really happy with our make-up,’’ Frew said. "The girls have put in a really solid few weeks during our pre-season training and I’m grateful for the training they did behind closed doors before they came to us.
"It’s set us up nicely and with the build we’ve had and mould of the squad at the moment, I certainly couldn’t complain as the coach.’’
With the relaxing of eligibility rules for the Silver Ferns resulting in several of New Zealand’s frontline players competing in Australia for the upcoming season, there will be plenty of interest surrounding the quality of the ANZ Premiership.
"We’ve lost quite a few high calibre players and it’s up to us as coaches and players to produce a really good standard of netball,’’ Frew said.
"We need to ensure we’re training as hard as we can so that when that first game comes, we’re putting out a really good product for the fans to see, ensuring that we’re trying to raise the skill level in New Zealand and to continue that growth of producing better athletes.
"As a coach, I’m really determined to make sure we have a really good skill set and that the players are performing. Yeah, we’ve lost some of the bigger name players in New Zealand but it’s also giving other players the opportunity to step up and that’s exciting.’’
Reverting to a two-round competition last season, the impetus to get away to confidence-building early wins and not left chasing later in the season has been a key focus for Frew.
"Winning games at home and a few on the road would be brilliant,’’ she said.