It is an impressive coaching resume, but Ben Weal admitted he still felt a little nervous when returning to the role of Saints mentor for season 2020.

It is a season which is currently on hold due to the coronavirus, but with a July return to play target Weal hopes he will get to properly resume his coaching role this year.

"I felt a bit nervous about it at the start because you feel like you've forgotten everything. But once you get back into the swing of it, it all comes back again," Weal said.

"I was actually starting to really get into the pre-season, I was really enjoying it, then this all happened. I was starting to feel really good about things which is what you want, you want your coach feeling positive."

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Weal first coached the Saints in 2008. That season they made the grand final but went down 3-1 to Bathurst City.

The following year the blue and whites went one better as they beat City 2-0 on grand final day, while in 2010 it took an extra-time goal in the decider to deny Weal's Saints.

Weal stepped down after that season, but in 2013 when then coach Bec Clayton had to relinquish the role due to work commitments, he returned.

They went on to win the premiership that season, beating Lithgow Panthers 2-1.

So when asked what sort of format Weal would like to see the 2020 Premier League Hockey season take should it go ahead, it is no surprise he wants there to be a finals series.

"I want to play a season if we can and play a finals series if we can, I think they could do a 1v4 semi-final and a 2v3 then run the grand final the next weekend if they want to condense things a little bit," he said.

"I think there should be enough time for everyone to play everyone once, there's enough weeks for that. It means everyone won't get a crack at the home and away, but they'll just have to work the draw to make it as even as possible.

"I'd like to try and play proper hockey rather than round-robin weekends or anything like that and get what we can out of the season."

While the Saints have lost Emma White and Sarah Watterson from last year's squad - they are making the switch to Souths - Weal is still more than happy with the playing unit he has got at his disposal.

"It pretty much as it was last year except those couple of players. Kathleen Ryan, she was going to come back and play. She played in those years when I coached before," he said.

"We've got some really good young juniors, the Fulton girls, they're going to be superstars and they are getting to that point where they are almost ready.

"Ella Davis, she was one of those players who in our pre-season training stepped up ... she's one of the older girls now and Ruby Clarke as well. Those girls have seemed to really mature in the off-season, they've grown, they're stronger looking.

"I'm about trying to promote juniors, I'm not about ringing around anywhere else and chasing players, I'll just work with what we've got."