Former Silver Ferns squad member turned police officer Ellen Halpenny joined the Steel as an injury replacement last week.
She made an immediate difference, chipping in with nine goals from nine attempts to help the Steel post a 41-40 win against the Magic.
Her effort was made even more remarkable considering the 29-year-old had not played any netball since retiring last year.
Halpenny lives in Tokoroa these days and is focused on her new career with the New Zealand Police.
When shooter Georgia Heffernan was ruled out for the season with a knee injury, Steel coach Reinga Bloxham asked Halpenny whether she would be interested in filling in.
Halpenny agreed but before she could join the side the Steel lost another shooter. Jen O’Connell fell awkwardly during a narrow loss to the unbeaten Pulse.
It has been a tough season for the Southerners. And while the side does not like to use the travel as an excuse, the trips to Auckland, where the bulk of the ANZ Premiership matches are being played, have been taxing.
Halpenny’s arrival provided a temporary boost, even if the signs of fatigue were evident the following evening during the 48-35 loss to the Tactix.
"It has been great to be able to call on her," Bloxham said.
"She is a very experienced player and I think she has added a new dynamic to our team. Hopefully, with a bit more time together with her new team-mates, that connection will start building."
Halpenny cannot train with the side during the week so those combinations have to be cemented during the captain’s run, which is not ideal.
However, Halpenny’s experience is an asset and she has been able to slot back in rather seamlessly at the top level.
Bloxham said she had not had a conversation with Halpenny about her netball future beyond the remainder of this season.
"I don’t imagine it [a more permanent comeback] is [part of her future]. It is pretty much just her answering our SOS ... but I’m not 100% sure if she wants to carry on."
The Steel play the Mystics at 7.30pm tomorrow and Halpenny will strike some quality defence in Sulu Fitzpatrick, who has been grabbing her share of rebounds and just generally gets in the way of tidy service.
At the other end, Mystics shooter Grace Nweke has been putting up a high volume of shots and landing a high percentage of them.
She is the second leading scorer in the competition with 284 goals from 317 attempts.
The Steel has won just two of its nine games but has six round-robin games remaining to claw its way up the standings.
