FIRE TRUST THEIR PLAN

New style pays immediate dividends

TRUST in the process.

That is the message from Townsville Fire coach Shannon Seebohm as his side aims up for a tough clash against reigning champions Canberra Capitals.

The Fire started the WNBL season in a blaze of glory on Wednesday night, putting out a plucky Perth Lynx with a mix of speed and tenacity.

They are the keys to the new style implemented by Seebohm this season, and it is a game plan he believes the entire squad is buying into.

“I am really impressed with their approach every day into our system – they have bought into the first day of pre-season,” Seebohm said.

“It is very fast-paced but it is also highly organised and structured. The more games we get together the better it will be.

“We are feeling good, it was a good first hitout but we are not getting too excited as well. We executed quite well, it allowed us to get a lot of points on the board early, which helped later in the game.”

While attacking threats Lauren Nicholson and Shyla Heal dominated the stats sheet, Seebohm heaped praise on the rest of the squad for stepping up.

Steph Reid played 20 minutes off the bench and added plenty of starch to the side at both ends of the court with four points, four rebounds and three assists.

Zitina Aokuso and Kate Gaze also played big minutes off the bench while front court specialist Nadeen Payne was dominant against her former side picking up a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. “I think that is the great thing about our team, we have people stepping up all over the court and that will suit us well in the long run this season,” Seebohm said.

The Capitals struggled to fire in their opening clash missing captain Kelsey Griffin in their loss to Adelaide.

But Seebohm said there was no point reading much into it.

“With all the experience they have, they will be more motivated to bounce back against us, we need to be ready for that,” he said.

“Whether they have their experienced players in or not, it doesn’t make a difference to how we approach the game.

“Against Canberra our work starts on the defensive end and matching up against their strengths.”