The Southern Steel are on the brink of the worst domestic netball campaign in the ANZ Premiership's history – and they’ve only got one game left to avoid it.
After last round's 58-47 loss to the Stars, the Steel could be the first side to go winless in an entire season in the competition’s history unless they can topple the Magic at home in Invercargill on Sunday.
A loss would add to an already daunting amount of unwanted records this season which includes their biggest defeat, their lowest score and their longest losing streak.
Midcourter Sam Winders conceded it isn’t easy reading but the scorelines aren’t everything.
“Honestly, if we did care about the score that much this season we would actually be sitting here right now feeling so sad,” Winders said.
“If it was all about the score, how would we even get out of bed every week?”
Winders said while they’ve had a tough season, her team is just as tough.
“I don't think we can even consider the alternative - if we weren’t like this, then we would be fighting and angry and crying in team meetings and no one does that here.
“You don’t get a choice. You’ve just got to turn up and do your job and know it's more than just wins.”
It’s a mindset that flows down from the top with coach Reinga Bloxham also hardened by this season’s rough ride.
“It's not something I've ever talked about as a coach, winning or losing, I always think about the process,” Bloxham said.
“But when you're breaking records or things like that for all the wrong reasons, it does sit on your shoulder and is in the back of your mind.”
It's an unwanted record Tactix coach Marianne Delaney-Hoshek knows too well after her side found themselves in the same position in 2015.
The Tactix had no wins going into the final game but managed to nab a 62-58 victory coincidentally at home, on a Sunday and against the Magic.
“I have a photo of that game in 2015 and everyone's rushing out onto the court and I always, when I go to speeches at school, I say, ‘what's happening in this photo?’ and they think someone's winning the World Cup,” Delaney-Hoshek said.
“But it's just us winning our first game of the season!”
A sight and a result the Steel hope to replicate this weekend.
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