I feel like the quality is similar or slightly lower overall but there seems to have been a shift in strength. From what I've seen and heard so far in table order:
Brooklyn - appear to be similar standard maybe slightly stronger
Vic Uni - noticeably stronger
Wgtn Utd - didn't seem as strong as last year but feel their tactics last season were particularly effective against last season so hard to truly judge
Wharf - maybe slightly stronger. Didn't look like the stronger team when we played first round but finished a lot stronger
Upper Hutt - haven't see yet
KCU - only seen in preseason. Seemed similar level to last year
Petone - slow start to the season. Hard to for me to judge quality with only one eye
Wests - only seen in preseason. Seemed a lower quality than last year
IBU - Struggling with the jump from Women's 1. Probably similar quality to last season but lacking a couple of players to be truly competitve
Tawa - Struggling with the jump from Women's 1 and sounds like struggling for numbers in a grade they didn't want to be in