Baber and Janine Hobbs co-coach the Newcastle Newcastle Association (NNA) opens representative squad, which last year were Netball NSW Hunter Regional League champions, state opens champions and Regional State Cup winners.

"We had a very good year; there wasn't anything else to win," Baber said. "It's very exciting and with everything going on at the moment it's nice to have some good news."

Newcastle's opens side are one of four finalists in the running for Sport NSW community team of the year.

The team featured a host of experience, including NSW Premier League players as well as former national leaguers Tiffany Gilmour and Narelle Eather. But Baber and Hobbs also called on rising talent for their dominant run.

"When we won the first one - the regional - three or four players weren't available, so we pulled in a few girls who had been with the training squad to help us win that one," Baber said.

"Then state titles was the actual 12. For State Cup in October, we pulled in three from the 17s representative team and they were outstanding. So it was really three different groups of girls with the base of six or seven.

"This year, because they have taken away 19s and 21s, there's now only under-17 state titles and opens. So all of those girls who are turning 19 and above then had to try to get into an opens who just won state titles.

"We had 30 people at opens trials and we could field two teams that could win state. Newcastle netball is outstandingly strong."

Whether they get the chance to defend their crowns this year remains to be seen as the coronavirus pandemic has forced many cancellations and modifications of sport already.

Only one round of a reduced Newcastle netball season has been played due to coronavirus concerns. Many teams are viewing it as a development year with several big names unable to take the court due to restrictions placed on them by their NSW Premier League sides.

Baber believed Newcastle could easily field their own NSW Premier League team.

"The talent is here for sure," Baber said. "It's just the rest that goes with it - facilities, sponsorship ... but the potential is there.

"The Greater [championship] is probably one of the strongest regional competitions outside of Sydney, and we'd probably measure up to any Sydney competition on a Saturday. The eight teams competing in Greater have some immensely talented players and half of our players aren't playing for us at the moment because they're playing premier league in Sydney and they're not allowed to do both."

Newcastle co-captain Karlie Robards, who plays for University of Newcastle in the NNA championship, said being named a finalist was "nice recognition of all of our hard work over the years".

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