Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua has given her biggest indication yet as to the makeup of her Commonwealth Games team.
While she's expected to name a relatively young squad on Monday, Dame Noeline has made it clear expectations around fitness and a gold medal haven't changed.
Thursday's trials provided the final chance for players to impress ahead of next week's team naming, and plenty have taken that opportunity with both hands, said Taurua.
"Actually, I was excited by what I saw out there," said Dame Noeline.
Taurua's confident they're ahead of schedule heading into next month's pinnacle event.
"When you get that chemistry together there's quite a strong power and that's probably the exciting thing about the team," she added.
But as it always does, Taurua's notoriously strict fitness testing has cost some players a seat on the plane to Birmingham.
Players who are yet to meet that standard will have to shift their focus to next year's World Cup.
"The fitness standard for the 12 is really clear about having to meet that, and we have not wavered from that," said Taurua.
"There are people who have really put their hand up and we will keep supporting them."
But for the 17 players named on Monday, Commonwealth Games gold is the immediate goal.
"We believe that's the standard, and we believe also that's the expectation with us representing our country."
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