In rugby league terms, she gave herself the hook and spent the rest of the match sitting on the bench and wondering why her seemingly bullet-proof confidence had suddenly deserted her.

Wallace's capitulation had a silver lining: young gun Sophie Garbin was thrown a Super Netball debut and led a stirring comeback as the NSW side unearthed a future superstar and took home a precious opening-round win.

Garbin has been brilliant in the three games she's been called upon this year but, crucially, Wallace has since rediscovered her best form and heads into Sunday's home clash against the Adelaide Thunderbirds ready to lead from the front with a place in the top four beckoning ahead of next weekend's competition-wide bye.

"I really and truly have no answer for the way I started the season," Trinidad and Tobago international Wallace said. "Or should I say, I had too much expectation of myself.

"I set standards and goals each game and I really wanted to go to the game and actually have a banger ... but I was having a mess game, I was just out of it, my shots weren't falling, I was hesitating to shoot, it was just not me.

"At half-time I was like, 'coach, I need to come off' and she liked that about me being honest. I know we have other girls on the bench to come and fill the role and Sophie Garbin did come on and master the job.

"I know teams are going to be looking at me compared to last year when I had a banger season. I know they will do their homework and come on to try and stop me and shut me down.

"I just think, 'Sam, stop pressuring yourself, relax, compose'. Just taking the pressure off my shoulder and stop stressing and over thinking stuff."

With England's Commonwealth Games gold medallist Helen Housby alongside her in the Swifts' shooting circle, and Garbin ready to step on court whenever Akle turns to her bench, Wallace has learnt to relax.

After shooting a below-par 12 from 17 in that opening-round shocker, she has racked up 119 goals from 132 shots in her past four games, helping the Swifts equal last year's tally of wins just a month into the season.

Her partnership with Housby continues to develop, while Garbin has injected a fresh enthusiasm into the club.

"That Commonwealth Games really changed Helen in a lot of ways," Wallace said.

"She's really chill. I will use that word of Helen. But when she gets on the court she means business, she's really competitive.

"Coming back from the Commonwealth Games, winning that gold medal actually drove her into this tournament, like in a positive mindset, like we could do this, and her energy in training really could show in her game.

"Sophie Garbin, she brings her natural vibes to the team, she just fits in so well, her personality is so warm ...

"She is a physical beast, as we call her. At training, she lifts the heaviest in the gym. She has the confidence in herself. As much as she can be nervous for games, she knows she can do the job, she can shoot, she can hold, she can play. She has the belief in herself, I love that about her."