Gaining local ascendancy is the focus for the Waikato/Bay of Plenty Magic over the next month of the ANZ Championship.
The inaugural year of the competition sees the New Zealand-based teams play either other twice, while there is only one round of Trans-Tasman clashes.
Having taken the first step in dispatching the Central Pulse by 17 goals last week, the second-placed Magic are aiming for a clean sweep of their New Zealand rivals to solidify their place at the top of the table.
Wins have also come against two of the strongest Australian challengers, the Thunderbirds and Swifts, which places the Magic in a handy position to take advantage of the local fixtures.
"It's interesting where the New Zealand teams are placed and a lot of them still haven't played those big teams from Australia, so it puts a real urgency on the New Zealand teams to win their New Zealand games to be in contention,'' coach Noeline Taurua said.
"At the moment a lot of those teams are below us so there will be a desperation from all of them to target us for vital points.''
A huge challenge comes on Monday in the shape of the rejuvenated Northern Mystics. The Mystics did the usually unthinkable in beating the Southern Steel in Invercargill and shook off the criticism levelled at them in the early rounds.
That is followed by matches against the Steel and Canterbury Tactix, whereupon the Magic will have a fair idea of how they stand this season.
"We have had the view from the beginning of the season that winning the New Zealand matches would be vital, knowing that we've got the Vixens in Melbourne and the Queensland Firebirds to come,'' Taurua added.
"You have to be aware of the importance of the home games as well as progressing each week in terms of building and becoming better equipped to tackle the difficulties and challenges the Australian matches present.
"All New Zealand teams have struggled against the one-on-one marking of the Australians so we can't afford to ignore that. We have to get tighter on our defensive play and incorporating that into our games in the weeks ahead is vital."
There is a train of thought that says the Mystics will be a much tougher proposition now that they have opened their account for 2008, but Taurua takes a different view.
She believes another loss would've made the northern outfit an even more difficult outfit to the one the Magic squeezed past 56-52 in Rotorua back in round two.
"I don't think they've quite hit their straps as yet. They will be boosted by their win, especially achieving it in Invercargill which is always a tough place to win.''