Coaching of top three aids Daniel in new gig

JORDAN GERRANS glut of talented youth on the Marlins bench, he did not want to slow their progress and a move to the coaching staff made sense.

While he is still young from a coaching standpoint, Daniel has played under some quality coaches in his career, including former NBL Coach of the Year Award winner Dennis, former New Zealand Tall Blacks head coach Vucinic and QBL championship winner Pearlman.

Daniel says he would love to be a head coach one day, even for a junior team.

“You want to take things from successful teams you have been on,” Daniel said.

“And the Nelson Giants’ team with Nenad was one of those, we won a NZ NBL championship and a lot of the stuff he taught us still sticks in my mind.

“Dennis was another great example of a tutor of the game.

“I thought my IQ was good on the floor but you can never be an expert in basketball.

“Shawn was an example of that, he always wanted to learn and improve. Pearls is the same, he is teaching me stuff every day about managing the team and people.”

Daniel and the Marlins welcome Gladstone Port City Power into the Fish Tank tonight needing to snap their three-game losing skid with playoffs on the horizon.

The Power played the first leg of the northern nightmare in Townsville last night and will be relying on the scoring influence of QBL Player of the Week Ray Willis.

Willis is second in the league for points per game, al- most 28, and has been on a tear lately.

“Their two imports, Willis and Willie Shackleford, are so important to them, we will need to take the ball out of their hands,” Daniel said.

Marlins point guard Anthony Fisher could return from a hip injury.

The Dolphins will also be out to return to winning ways after being smashed by Mackay last start. The Power have leapfrogged them on the ladder after a 20-point win over Rockhampton in Round 12. CAIRNS proved too strong for Douglas and will represent Marlin Coast when they meet the top team in Townsville in August after the Queensland Premier League. Cairns will also be represented in the men’s division and under-18s in the next playoffs in Townsville. Mareeba netball denied Cairns a clean sweep when they took out the under-16 division.

Tabatha Richardson Smith will need to be stopped by the Dolphins tonight as she contributed 37 points and nine assists last outing.