But there first big test comes this weekend when they go head-to-head with competition heavyweights of the past few years in Warners Bay.

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The Wallsend captain represented her club at the competition launch last week and told the Newcastle Herald the Red Devils were excited for the season ahead.

"We've got a few new girls come into the squad, so we're hoping to push for a top-four spot and do better than last year," the Red Devils centre-back said.

Player representatives from each of the eight WPL sides answered a series of questions posed by the Herald and O'Brien suggested a strike weapon could add value to their side when asked to name a rival player she would like to recruit.

But, going by the round-one effort, it appears goalscoring may not be too much of an issue this season.

She singled out hat-trick hero Libby Copus-Brown as one to watch. Copus-Brown had a break-out W-League season with the Jets and found the back of the net three times against a young Thornton side at The Gardens on Sunday.

O'Brien also gave some insight into Red Devils camp, revealing new recruit Olivia Kennedy lightened the mood at training, she was probably the most intense and coach Brad Jones was hard to rattle.

The match-up against the back-to-back minor premiers at John Street Oval this Sunday should prove the game of the round.

Warners Bay, who beat the Red Devils in the 2016 WPL grand final, opened their 2019 season with a 9-1 drubbing of Adamstown.

Tara Pender, Nadja Squires and Jenna Kingsley all scored hat-tricks in the rout.

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Stay tuned for insight into other WPL teams this week with player videos to come from Sam Bestwick (Mid North Coast), Lauren Faulkner (Thornton), Kaitlin Radstack (Warners Bay) and Rhali Dobson (Merewether).