It was only the sight of Tairi in tears following the match that alerted commentators that the injury might be more serious than initially appeared.
The Magic confirmed yesterday the three-test Silver Fern would undergo surgery on Thursday and will be out for the rest of the season. Team management are still weighing up their options for a player replacement.
Sue Hawkins wasn't joking when she said she would use her bench
Leading into the season new Tactix coach Sue Hawkins stated her intent to unleash her bench players to try and eliminate flat patches in their game.
True to her word, Hawkins made liberal use of her bench in the Tactix opening round match against the Mystics, tinkering with her line-up throughout the match.
After holding a commanding seven-goal lead at the first break, the Tactix were eventually overrun by the more experienced Mystics line-up.
While the visitors' comeback was sparked by the inclusion of Cathrine Latu at the first break, you've got to wonder whether some of the changes made to the Tactix line-up later in the match more upset their own momentum than the opposition's.
The Tactix also need to rethink their marketing strategy
Management for the Canterbury side have been forced to apologise after a radio ad that ran before their opening game drew a complaint from a listener as being sexist.
According to stuff.co.nz the ad started with the words "Tall girls, long legs, short skirts, lots of bounce ... there's so much to love about the Mainland Tactix". The ad has since been withdrawn.
The Tactix had obviously hoped the ad would draw in male fans, but their strategy was badly misjudged.
The Pulse's gameplan still doesn't stack up against the Aussie sides
The Central Pulse's off-season efforts to address their struggles against the Australian sides has failed to produce any obvious difference in the opening round of the ANZ Championship netball competition.
The Pulse, regarded as one of New Zealand's big title hopes this year, got their season off to an unconvincing start, slumping to a 24-goal defeat to the defending champion Vixens in Melbourne.
Despite boasting a powerful line-up stacked with past and present internationals, it was the Pulse's inability to beat the Australian sides last year which cost them a place in the playoffs. Pulse captain Katrina Grant said her side had worked hard to address their poor record against the Aussie teams in the off-season.
But the way in which the Vixens so effortlessly dismantled the Wellington side over the weekend would suggest their game plan still does not stack up against the relentless pressure of the Australian style of defence.
The Fever might just be the dark horses of the competition
Virtually every Australian side was name-checked as potential title contenders in the lead-up to the start of the transtasman league, with the exception of the West Coast Fever.
The Fever are the only team from across the Tasman not to have featured in the playoffs over the first seven years of the competition, but their early form suggests this could be their year.
After going through last month's preseason tournament in Sydney unbeaten, the Perth-based side opened their 2015 account with an impressive win over last year's beaten finalists, the Queensland Firebirds, over the weekend.
With the new extended finals format in place this season, the Fever look a good chance to break their playoffs drought in 2015.
