The reasons why the Steel a cut above the rest
1. Continuity through court
Connections are all important when it comes to netball and the Steel have reaped the rewards for having an established group of players. They had the same firstchoice starting seven back from the final year of the trans-Tasman league last season and it has shown in their understanding and links on court. Jhaniele FowlerReid and Te Paea Selby-Rickit were one of the best performed shooting combinations in the ANZ Premiership, while Shannon Francois and Gina Crampton were among the premier midcourters. Jane Watson again starred in the defensive end and worked well in tandem with the nuggety Te Huinga Selby-Rickit. Reserves Abby Erwood, Jamie Hume, Jennifer O’Connell and their second tier Beko League replacements all made their mark when they were called into action after the Christchurch van crash. 2. Jhaniele Fowler-Reid The Jamaican sharpshooter was the standout goal shoot of the competition and arguably the league’s most valuable player. Fowler-Reid has been a revelation since joining the Steel in 2013 and produced another outstanding individual campaign. During round play, she landed a whopping 734 goals – 128 more than the next best shooter, Magic’s South African import Lenize Potgieter. Her accuracy rate was just as impressive, converting 92 per cent of her attempts in the round stage, second only to Cathrine Tuivaiti of the Pulse (95 per cent). At 1.98m, Fowler-Reid was a towering presence in the attacking end and opposition teams again had few answers finding a way to combat her. If this was her swansong campaign before heading back to Jamaica it was certainly one to savour. 3. Ability to score quickly No team in the national netball premiership put the ball in the hoop as regularly as the Steel. They netted a staggering 1062 goals from 15 round games (70 per match), which was some way ahead of the next highest scoring late in the season threatened to disrupt the Steel’s dominant campaign, but not even that horrific ordeal could rattle the resilient southerners. It might have broken other teams, but only strengthened the Steel and unified them as a squad. Their gritty come from behind win over the Tactix with a depleted roster, following the accident, was the mark of a champion team. Several greenhorns from their second tier Beko League team were called in and performed admirably. Rookie shooter Jennifer O’Connell, in just her second top-level match, filled FowlerReid’s size 14 shoes with aplomb, landing 38-45 in a composed performance, which belied her youth. The following week back in Invercargill, the Steel didn’t miss a trick, thumping the Pulse 64-51 in what would turn out to be a grand final dress rehearsal.