Opinion: Silver Ferns should never have lost to Malawi at the Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast

New Zealand Silver Fern coach Janine Southby during a team training last year. Photo/File

Malawi beat New Zealand at netball at the Commonwealth Games - the frustration sits with me just as firmly now as it did when it happened on Sunday night.

How did that happen? How did the Silver Ferns lose to the Malawi Queens when the Kiwi side went into the second half of the game leading?

But we failed to hold on to that lead, losing to the Malawi side 53 to 57 in a game that featured many unnecessary changes to the Kiwi side on the court.

It's hard to dissect this game in a few hundred words.

I've seen a lot of comments blasting the players, and yes, we missed goals we should have scored, but we had players on court who shouldn't have been and, in my view, the loss can only be attributed to coach Janine Southby. She makes the calls.

Without taking the win away from the Malawi athletes - congratulations to them - the Silver Ferns are in dire need of a coaching shake-up and I know I'm not the only one who would love to see Noeline Taurua coach them. Actually, I know I'm not the only one who would have loved to have seen her coach the side a few years ago when she was snubbed for the top job. Ugh.

I'd also like to point out at this stage I'm not one of those Kiwis who only support our teams when they are winning - you only have to view my collection of Warriors merchandise to see that - but the Silver Ferns' loss should not have happened.

Good on Malawi - they would have felt amazing scoring their first win over us Kiwis - and they deserve to celebrate and good luck to them for the rest of their games campaign.

For us, however, banking on the Ferns to come home with a Commonwealth Games medal is looking unlikely.