The review was not going to reflect well on Martin. While the focus has been on Ferns coach Andreas Heraf — after serious allegations thrown his way — there would have been almost as much pressure on Martin.
If Heraf fostered a toxic, unhealthy environment — as 12 Ferns players have alleged — then Martin was also culpable.
There are written records that Martin knew of issues on the Ferns tour to Spain in March but that he failed to act on those concerns, which exacerbated the problems in the subsequent Wellington camp and culminated in the major fallout since the Japan international three weeks ago.
Martin's conduct was concerning at a press conference last week, when he denied any prior knowledge of issues in the Ferns, while also implying there were performance management issues with the senior NZF staffer who raised the issues.
Martin appeared to have no chance of surviving the review and he must have known that.
It's also likely the board — if they were being responsible to their stakeholders — would have sensed Martin's time was up.
Some members of the board may also start to come under pressure. How was Martin allowed to make such unilateral, poor decisions (such as the appointment of Heraf, or the stubborn stipulation of a Pro Licence for the All Whites coach) without any examination from the board?
How could so many quality people depart NZF in recent years without any questions from those who govern the game?
Martin's tenure won't be looked back on with much fondness. He brought some business acumen to the role, managed a television deal, and his attempts at repositioning the sport ('the global game for all New Zealanders') gained some traction.
But otherwise his time will be remembered for a series of costly administrative blunders and poor decisions around personnel. He also — deliberately or otherwise — alienated himself from the stakeholders and grassroots.
Above all, Martin never appeared to possess genuine passion for the sport, which ultimately contributed to his downfall.
