We’re not yet at full charge

GOING GREAT GUNS BUT STILL MORE TO COME

IN a scary sign for the rest of the NBL1 competition, the rampaging Hobart Chargers say there’s plenty of room for improvement this season as it eyes off winning an inaugural NBL1 National Championship.

Despite being yet to take the court with their entire treasure chest of stars the Chargers will enter this weekend’s road trip against Nunawading (6-8) and Frankston (85) on a seven-game winning streak but coach Anthony Stewart said there was still improvements to be made.

“This is a work in progress with a number of missing pieces week in and week out,” Stewart said.

“Jarred Bairstow is back this week so we are nearly at full strength this week for the first time this year but we’ve got a lot of improvement to do.

“We’ve got a really tough stretch coming up so we’ll find out in the next few weeks where we sit but we’ve given ourselves every opportunity to give this thing a shake.”

With a number of disruptions to his squad throughout the season to date Stewart said he was thrilled with the position they’d put themselves in but that gelling as a team would be their next aim as they strive for a division and, ultimately, a national title.

“The chemistry isn’t there yet and we are winning off pure grit and determination,” he said.

“We’ve won some games off the back of certain individuals, which is great.

“But you don’t like to see that too often, you like to see some balance in the team.

“We’ve still got ‘Sammy Mac’ [Sam McDonald] to come in and [new import] Jamar [Sandifer] has just joined the team and he’s done an incredible job so right now we are in a ripper situation.

“We are 10-3 and Mt Gambier has lost two in a row so top spot is up for grabs.

“I’m really excited about this next four or five weeks and what it could bring.

“We just need to make sure at the pointy end of the season the chemistry is right and we are locked in and working together.

“I’m quietly confident that will happen.”

The Chargers have climbed to second on the NBL1 South, one spot behind ladder leader Mt Gambier Pioneers.

While Stewart was focusing on the short term he was not shy in expressing the lofty ambitions for his side this season.

“My focus has always been to win that first NBL1 National Championship and to do that we have got to get through to the finals and then beat the teams ahead of us.

“We have a long way to go but we are sitting very good at the moment and I’m really pleased with where the team is at.”