LOOSE LEADERSHIP

The leadership of the Silver Ferns has also been found wanting.

Grant was a surprise pick for captain, but with Langman unwilling to commit to New Zealand in the post trans-tasman league era, the Pulse skipper was the only option.

It has been a steep learning curve for Grant, having been handed the captaincy when she was already facing the challenge of adjusting from being an impact player to a 60-minute player.

It hasn’t helped either that the other senior members of the team – Mes, Francois and Kara – have had their own battles with form, and in the case of Folau, injury.

The Silver Ferns undoubtedly miss Langman’s freakish abilities, but arguably, where her absence has left an even bigger hole is off the court.

Langman played a key role in driving the performance culture of the team.

The retirement of veteran defender Anna Harrison had a significant impact in this regard too. In one hit the Ferns lost the two players willing to step up and demand more from their teammates.

Grant is equally diligent when it comes to her preparation, but one insider observed that she tends to be too deferential to other players, in particular Folau.

Having recognised the team’s performance culture was unravelling, Southby called in former AFL star Trent Hotton, a specialist in team-building and leadership, before the Commonwealth Games. This type of work was needed at the start of a four-year cycle.

Yet even after Hotton’s interventions, there were rumours of players having been disciplined for failing to uphold behaviours expected of the athletes.