Kate Heffernan and Kimiora Poi have been appointed co-captains.
The midcourt duo was bestowed the honour by head coach Wendy Frew after input from the management team.
Established defender Abby Lawson also earns her spot in the overall leadership group.
The international Silver Ferns pairing are no strangers to the top job.
Heffernan, embarking on her eighth season with the franchise, captained the Steel last year while Poi led the Tactix for three seasons before venturing south.
"Both Kate and Kimi have so many exceptional qualities they will bring to this captaincy," Frew said.
"I believe they each have a unique style to offer which will complement the other. They are powerful players who not only communicate well verbally, but their actions on court also speak volumes as well.
"Abby deserves her reputation as one of the sport’s hardest grafters and it’s that determined attitude, her knowledge of the game and the genuine connections she forms which will be hugely beneficial in a leadership role."
Heffernan was "super grateful" for the opportunity.
"I think together Kimi and I can definitely bring the best out of each other and the team so I’m really looking forward to it," she said.
"I am still learning and growing in the leadership space but I believe that being able to lead through my actions on and off the court is super important in driving a successful team.
"We have a really exciting team this year and it’s an awesome group of girls. Wendy and Liana [assistant coach Leota] have been awesome and really set the tone. I can’t wait for the season to get started."
For Poi, the appointment was a surprise.
"Coming into a new team and franchise, it’s not really something I thought about to be honest. But I’m looking forward to seeing how we can continue growing and supporting each other as leaders," she said.
"Kate and I have different strengths as leaders which I think complement each other well. For me personally, I’m really just wanting to keep being myself, lead by example and be there in a way to get the best out of everyone both on and off the court."
The Steel’s mettle will be tested for the first time at the annual pre-season tournament in Otaki this weekend.
Injury niggles to three players — Poi, fellow midcourter Renee Savai’inaea and Australian defender Dakota Thomas — has meant a temporary reshuffle of the roster.
Quality replacements have been recruited in the form of former Silver Fern Sam Winders, who played for the Steel in 2023, rangy 1.92m defender Kate Lloyd, who boasts 92 premiership caps, official training partner Grace Southby and Charlotte Lourey, who appeared as a replacement player during Steel’s 2024 campaign.
"Injuries are always disappointing but our priority is ensuring those players are ticking all of the rehab boxes so they can take the court when the games really count," Frew said. — APL
