The venue's roof collapsed after a heavy snowfall in September 2010, but last night it was the Steel folding under pressure.
The Firebirds schooled the Steel, winning 60-44 in front of 2700 fans. The match was over as a contest by the third quarter with the Steel trailing by 15.
But the damage had been done in a lacklustre second period in which the home side could manage just eight goals.
You are not going to win many games of netball with an eight-goal quarter - a point not lost on Steel coach Janine Southby.
''It was costly,'' she said.
''We turned over enough ball defensively- but we just frittered it away on attack and we just can't do that.''
The Steel, of course, was missing star shooter Jhaniele Fowler-Reid for the first half.
The 1.98m Jamaican international has rheumatic heart disease, which is a condition that needs to be managed.
''She is being monitored really closely by the medical team and we're hoping we've got through it and that we can get her back to full fitness in the next week or two.
''It is a condition she has had for a while and we know what we need to do to manage it - and we know what pressures we can put her under. It is a concern and we've got to make sure we look after her as a person first.''
Otago shooter Te Paea Selby-Rickit replaced her in the starting line-up and had a solid performance.
She was able to get into the game immediately, with the Firebirds fumbling the opening centre pass and handing over possession. Jodi Brown looped in a pass which found Selby-Rickit waiting under the post.
The teams, however, traded mistakes, with the Steel taking its turn next. The Firebirds scored five unanswered goals only for the home side to charge back with a 9-3 run. But in a topsy-turvy opening stanza, the visitors scored the last seven goals to take a 15-11 lead.
With Brown really struggling with her range, the gap ballooned to 10 goals. The Silver Ferns back-up shooter missed six of her 12 attempts in the opening half.
Steel goal keep Phoenix Karaka was working hard and making some fantastic plays. But she was also getting heavily penalised. Firebirds captain Laura Geitz, by contrast, was more decisive and helped create the cleaner turnovers.
Fowler-Reid's introduction saw the Steel return to what worked so well in the past - lobbing the ball into the towering shooter.
A lack of fitness meant she did not have the spring in her step she did at the end of season but you cannot coach height.
Goals came more easily but the Firebirds also found more rhythm on attack, extending their lead to 15.
Fellow Jamaican Romelda Aiken (34 from 43) and Amy Wild (26 from 32) were more polished than their opponents.
In the ANZ Championship season-opener on Saturday, the Magic demolished the Tactix 70-46 in Christchurch. England international Jo Harten burned her former franchise with 41 goals from 42 attempts.
In Sydney yesterday, the Swifts got their campaign off to a solid start with a 54-51 win against the Fever, and the Vixens enjoyed a comprehensive 58-34 win against the Mystics in Melbourne.
ANZ Championship
The scores
Queensland Firebirds 60
Romelda Aiken 34 from 43, Amy Wild 26/32
Southern Steel 44
Te Paea Selby-Rickit 13/16, Jodi Brown 11/17, Jhaniele Fowler-Reid 20/22
Quarter scores: 1st 15-11, 2nd 29-19, 3rd 48-33
