KEY POINTS:
Netball has always been a game played on the sunny side of the street. Not for it the vitriolic criticism and soul-searching analysis that accompanies, say, an All Black defeat.
That state of affairs endured even after a reversal as astounding as the Silver Ferns' 38-40 loss to England on Wednesday, just two days after they had beaten the same team by 39 goals.
Beatific smiles, calm countenances and accentuation of the positive continued to be the order of the day. It was great for the game that England was now a competitive force ... and so on and on.
If there was a plus, it lay in the fact that tonight's deciding match will attract a far bigger television audience than would a dead rubber.
Everything else, though, about the Silver Ferns' inconsistent performances provides reason for thorough examination.
A little more harrumphing would not go astray if, indeed, they want to beat Australia regularly. Norma Plummer, the Australian coach, calls a spade a spade. It adds to her appeal. Questions about the Silver Ferns' stuttering displays demand answers.
Why do so many young players struggle to step up to the international stage? Why are senior players appearing out of their regular positions? Does coach Ruth Aitken, a world championship victory notwithstanding, lack a killer instinct?
If the Silver Ferns should lose tonight, such queries will resonate far more strongly. Robyn Broughton, the country's most successful domestic coach, sits, Robbie Deans-like, awaiting the call.
Netball has embraced professionalism and enjoys a high profile in this country. It, therefore, needs to deliver a standard of performance that eschews amateur fallibility and foible.
The game cannot continue to indulge a cup-half-full attitude when things go awry. Straight talking and critical analysis would help, not hinder, the Silver Ferns to win consistently.