The Steel has performed admirably, perhaps even over-achieved, during the past two seasons.
However, the franchise went backwards at an alarming rate this year.
It is probably nothing a good goal attack would not fix. A decent playmaker in that role would certainly go a long way towards mending some of the ills.
But something has to change if the Southern Steel is ever going to contest the championship game.
The franchise seems to have recognised that need after announcing yesterday it was advertising long-serving coach Robyn Broughton's job.
The clear indication is that Broughton, despite her remarkable achievements, is no longer the right woman for the team.
Some think Broughton should have the job for life. She led the Sting to seven titles in 10 years, and her reputation as a shrewd leader remains intact, despite a lean year with the Steel.
She is well-regarded within netball circles and, perhaps, the best endorsement of her ability is in the players who have blossomed under her leadership.
Arguably, her greatest success was recognising the potential in Adine Wilson. She converted the useful goal attack into a world-class wing attack. Broughton also spotted Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit's potential. A nervy shooter, Selby-Rickit has not looked back since shifting to goal defence.
There have been plenty of others. Shooter Paula Griffin turned around an average start to the season and regained her place in the national squad. How much of that comes down to personal drive and the influence of the coach is hard to gauge. But Broughton's ability to squeeze the best out of her charges has been proved time and time again and, ultimately, that is the best measure of a coach's worth.
However, results also count, and the Steel flamed out this year.
The team was not significantly different from the side which reached the semifinals in 2010.
There were some new faces on the bench, and Griffin and Natasha Chokljat made their debuts for the Steel this season.
Otherwise it was a very familiar team and one which the fans could rightly have expected to play better netball.
Some of its efforts were dire.
The attack end was pretty much dysfunctional and the midcourt oscillated between mediocre and reasonable. Even with some excellent defence - nobody was better than goal keep Leana de Bruin - the Steel found itself on the wrong side of some brutal scores.
The Invercargill-based side faded in and out of matches and Broughton was slow to react and often hesitant to make changes.
She is fiercely loyal - a quality which has served her well - but loyalty can also be a weakness.
You cannot blame her for favouring players who have delivered in the past but some of those players went backwards.
The likes of Erika Burgess, Wendy Frew, Liana Leota and Daneka Wipiiti have been listening to Broughton's halftime speeches for quite some time and could benefit from a fresh voice.
Mind you, watching the team huddles, it appeared some of the senior players were doing just as much if not more talking than the coach. Ideally, you would want the coach delivering the message clear and loud.
Confusion was certainly evident and the decision-making and option-taking was not great as a result. The team was just not singing from the same hymn sheet at times and that comes down to poor communication.
When players lost form, Broughton had no option but to keep her fingers crossed they played their way into better touch, because the bench was just so weak.
Whether that reflects poor selection or recruitment is unclear. The Steel will certainly need to make some personnel changes if it is going to be more competitive. Perhaps the franchise does not believe Broughton is ruthless enough to make those changes.
Broughton should have let Sheryl Scanlan go last year. She was a great player but time has caught up with the ageing defender.
Burgess is lucky to still have an ANZ Championship contract, and back-up players Te Paea Selby-Rickit, Sophia Fenwick and Hayley Saunders should be playing for their provinces in the Lois Muir Challenge, not on the bench for the Steel.
Wipiiti's spot may also be in jeopardy. She had an opportunity to step up and play a leading role but looked lost without the support of a creative goal attack.
Quality shooters are in short supply but former Silver Ferns shooter Jodi Brown filled in this season and must be at the top of the list of players the Steel would like to talk to, as would Jamaican shooter Carla Borrego, who appears to be shopping around for a new team.
Discarding the coach will be a bold and unpopular move. But the Steel needs to do something different to guard against complacency.
Good players want to play for championship-winning teams and every year the Steel fails to make the final makes it just that little bit harder to attract talent south.
STEEL SEASON
Record
Played 13, won 4, lost 9, finished seventh in ANZ Championship
Shooting
Steel 533 goals from 695 attempts (76.6%)
Paula Griffin 271/340 (79.7%)
Daneka Wipiiti 231/312 (74%)
Te Paea Selby-Rickit 16/26 (61.5%)
Jodi Brown 9/11 (81.8%)
Tania Dalton 6/6 (100%)
Appearances
Leota 13, Frew 13, Paula Griffin 13, Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit 13, Leana de Bruin 13, Wipiiti 12, Sheryl Scanlan 9, Natasha Chokljat 9, Burgess 7, Hayley Saunders 2, Te Paea Selby-Rickit 2, Tania Dalton 1, Jodi Brown 1, Sophia Fenwick 1.
Seconi's awards
Player of the season
Goal keep Leana de Bruin was magnificent. Her ability to block her opponents, pick up intercepts and get her long limbs in the way was simply inspirational. Arguably, she was the form defender in the competition and was easily the best performed Steel player.
Most improved
Shooter Paula Griffin made a wobbly start but finished strongly and regained her place in the national squad.
Best performance
It was probably the 52-48 win against the Adelaide Thunderbirds in Invercargill but the narrow loss to the Swifts was the most entertaining.
Worst performance
So many to choose from but it is hard to go past the 17-goal drubbing dished out by the Mystics in round one.
