Southern Steel hits 'low point' in tough season opener
The 38 goals it scored against the Mystics was the lowest in the ANZ Premiership for the Steel.
The Southern Steel has recorded its lowest-ever team score in an ANZ Premiership match in what turned into a tough start to the 2023 season in Auckland on Saturday night.
The Steel was comfortably beaten 63-38 by competition favorites the Northern Mystics.
The 38 goals it scored against the Mystics was the lowest in the ANZ Premiership for the Steel.
The Steel’s previous low was 40 goals against the Central Pulse in 2018.
Southern Steel coach Reinga Bloxham felt that 38 goal tally was a reflection of the lack of volume of shots they were able to put up throughout the game.
“We weren’t even getting the ball into the circle to have the attempts at goal. So that’s probably something we really need to address.”
Bloxham’s disappointment was obvious when she spoke with The Tribune soon after the final whistle of the season opener.
“It’s pretty disappointing, to be honest. We are a much better side than that, at times we let ourselves down,” Bloxham said.
“We saw glimpses of what we can do but just weren’t consistent enough in putting it out there.”
So just what in particular was Bloxham disappointed with?
“I think there is more than one thing that stood out [which went wrong]. It's probably us making sure we go back and have a look so we can pull that apart,” she said.
“But I think some of the things we probably let ourselves down with is we played into the Mystics’ hands a little bit. At times we were putting the ball into that space they wanted to take out and we didn’t do enough work with the ball ourselves to shift them and see where the space might be.
“We pride ourselves on creating some defensive pressure, when we did it we were able to slow them down and when we didn’t it just came in so quickly, which is why the score can blow out so fast playing a side like the Mystics.”
The Steel has seven days to tend to any mental damage such a big opening loss might inflict as it now eyes the Central Pulse in Wellington next Saturday night.
A couple of days later it will then be back in Auckland playing the Stars.
“The biggest thing is when you lose like that you do lose confidence in what you are doing. So, it’s really important we go back to the basics, we pull the things apart that we are good at doing and we build ourselves back up again.
“I know the girls a fairly disappointed with that performance, they know they could have done better than that, so they’ll be chomping at the bit next week once we get back out there.”
Captain Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit missed Saturday night’s game with a calf injury, but it is hoped she will return to play against the Pulse.
Star shooter George Fisher has been ruled out for the season, Saviour Tui is also on the injured list while Shannon Saunders has just become a mother.