When the legs are heavy and the lungs are bursting, that is when the Steel needs to lift its game.
The Steel has played well in patches this season but assistant coach Jo Cunningham believes the team has been guilty of inconsistency.
The Invercargill-based franchise has played some magnificent netball but has had a tendency to fall off the pace, most noticeably in the final quarter of games.
While the players are fit, Cunningham said they needed to dig deep and find a way to overcome the inevitable fatigue.
"It is that final quarter, when you've really worked hard, that the fatigue starts to set in and the tiredness hits, that you need to get over it and be a bit mentally harder," Cunningham said.
The Steel has had to do some soul-searching after its 53-36 defeat to the Adelaide Thunderbirds in Australia last week.
The visitors trailed by three goals going into the final 15min period but faded badly, losing the quarter 19-5.
"They were very disappointed with themselves, and annoyed they had let the game go because they'd played so well up until then.
They just let the Thunderbirds get on top and get a roll on.
We just can't afford to let that happen."
The Steel has an opportunity to atone tonight with a tough home game against the Queensland Firebirds.
The teams have met twice, with the Steel winning 54-52 in Dunedin in 2008 and the Firebirds extracting revenge 52-50 in Brisbane last year.
The teams look evenly matched again.
The Steel has two wins from four matches, while the visitors lost their first three games but rebounded with an impressive 71-54 victory over the Northern Mystics.
One guess who the Steel will be looking to keep quiet - towering Jamaican goal shoot Romelda Aiken has drilled 126 goals from 159 attempts and remains the Firebirds' biggest threat.
When the accurate shooter does miss, she has a fairly good chance of grabbing the rebound.
With her 1.96m frame she leads the competition with 18 offensive rebounds.
In the past, when teams have managed to disrupt her supply of ball, the Firebirds have struggled.
But with classy shooter Natalie Medhurst joining the side this season, the Firebirds have a two-pronged attack.
But despite some promising pre-season form, the Firebirds had not delivered on their potential until last week.
Medhurst has taken some time to settle but the pair now appear to be developing a useful combination, even if Aiken still shapes as the key player.
"She is talented but they have firepower all over the netball court," Cunningham said.
"And Lauren Nourse is an amazing feeder. But, if we can get the ball before it gets to [Aiken], then we'll be one step up. Romelda is extremely tall, extremely accurate and she is a good target for them to aim at."
Down the other end, defender Laura Geitz has grabbed 24 defensive rebounds and is leading the tournament in that statistic.
Steel goal keep Leana de Bruin has been in good form, while midcourter Liana Barrett-Chase has impressed in most outings.
In the opening game of the fifth round on Saturday, the Central Pulse was thrashed 75-40 by the Adelaide Thunderbirds in Wellington.
