BREAKERS’ PLOT TO STOP MIGHTY MITCH
THE Cairns Taipans will celebrate the heroes of yesteryear this weekend for the NBL’s Heritage Round, marking the league’s 40th year in existence.
Players will wear replicas of the club’s uniform from its 2005-06 season, in which former Taipan Anthony Stewart hit a buzzer-beating three to send the team to its first semifinals campaign.
Veteran Taipans forward Alex Loughton said the team was hoping for a similar result when they faced off against New Zealand tomorrow.
“The boys are pumped and we want to channel a bit of that confidence going into this game,” Loughton said.
“We’re really excited to be in the old strip and to throw back to that timeframe.”
Loughton said the 40th anniversary was a significant milestone for the league.
“It’s a great thing for the NBL to celebrate, and I think the league does a great job of doing a heritage round,” the 34-year-old said.
“It’s important to have that history and to really look back at the big names that have made the clubs what they are today.”
The Taipans are still pushing for an unlikely finals berth, but will need to win all six of their remaining regular season games after falling short in six of their past eight match-ups.
The team currently sits sixth on the NBL ladder, having come out on top in just one of their past three encounters with the Breakers this season.
But import centre Nnanna Egwu is hoping the recent return of fellow big man Nate Jawai will help them improve that record.
Jawai will be key tomorrow night, with the Kiwis recently bringing in new big man Rakeem Christmas.
“As he starts playing more games he’s going to be a lot more comfortable on the court, so he can get back to being the Nate he’s been for a long time,” Egwu said.
“He’s definitely been working hard at practice this week and hopefully by Saturday he’ll be giving us his full strength.” IF the Cairns Taipans’ board asked me for advice on what they should do with their coaching position going forward, it would be pretty simple. Aaron Fearne is their man. Finals look almost out of the question for the Taipans from here and with the coach in a contract year, there are always going to be questions asked about whether that coach will be signed again.
Fearne deserves to Cairns’ coach again.
Can you name a team in this league that loses a star dominant centre like Nate Jawai and import three-man like Michael Carrera at the start of the season and still has a chance to make the finals? No, you cannot. Fearne has done exceptional work in the community in terms of the junior development of basketball and I think that sets him apart from other coaches.
A lot of other coaches worry only about the NBL team and making the playoffs, which I can understand.
But this man has too many ties in the community, on different levels of Queensland Basketball, not to be a cornerstone for the organisation and the club.
I first met Fearne when he was an assistant coach with Cairns and I first came to Townsville.
He has always been a good guy and passionate about the game.
He loves basketball and that is just Fearne.
He is still the same as when I first met him, 100 per cent the same.
I just think he is a good lad and works his butt off.
I have seen it before in Townsville and with other players I have seen around the world, you need a coach like Fearne sometimes because the head coaching position, it is more than just basketball.
You have to wholeheartedly and genuinely be a part of the community – and he is. be
IT’S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT HISTORY AND TO REALLY LOOK BACK AT THE BIG NAMES THAT HAVE MADE THE CLUBS WHAT THEY ARE TODAY