The Hurricanes have continually strengthened their list since Briggs' appointment and will be confident of avoiding a fourth-straight bottom-two finish when the WBBL's sixth instalment gets under way on October 17.

Vakarewa, whose mother lives in Launceston, returns on a two-year deal after topping the Hurricanes' bowling charts last season while South African Tryon (246 runs at 35.42) was far and away the side's best batter with a strike rate of 178.41.

Priest will fill the problematic opening bat role, while English captain Heather Knight and West Indian all-rounder Hayley Matthews both remain in the running for the final international contract.

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"The key thing in our recruitment at the minute is to make sure we use that import or overseas spot as someone who can make runs for us," Briggs said.

"I think we've been very dominant with the ball, the stats show we're probably the second best bowling team in the competition so when you want to import someone you want to make them have impact at the top of the order.

"Heather is in and around looking at a series against South Africa in England and with Hayley, they've got to go in the ICC qualifiers which at the minute is at the same time as the WBBL.

"So it's very difficult to commit which player on that but we're used to it now - we've had six weeks of uncertainty, we still don't really know our fixtures but it's nice that we've got options."

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Tryon could be in for a promotion up the order this campaign after batting in the lower order last season.

"It was a no-brainer for us Chloe, she was unbelievable last year," Briggs said.

"The stats that we had in the back six with her coming in, we always felt in the game, you always felt you could dominate from any position with her so we wanted to make sure we snapped her up straight away."

Briggs confirmed talented Tasmanian opener Erin Fazackerley, who opted to take a year off despite impressing in WBBL05, would not play for the Hurricanes this season.