Martin gets ready to roll

Gold Coast change landscape with elite signing

THE Gold Coast Rollers have scored a coup in their chase for a Queensland Basketball League playoff spot, signing NBL veteran Rhys Martin.

Martin, who has played 270 NBL games for the Wollongong Hawks and Brisbane Bullets, brings a massive level of experience to a Rollers team struggling after releasing import Akeem Marsh.

The Brisbane product will commute from Wollongong each week to play for the Rollers and believes the side can still make an impression this season despite their poor start.

“The group of guys they’ve got there at the moment, there’s a few I’ve played with and a few I’ve played against over the years, so it’s a good mix of friend a foe there,” Martin said.

“It’s going to be fun getting to know those guys playing with them.”

Martin is yet to sign an NBL contract for the 2018-19 season, waiting on the Hawks decision of imports to learn whether there will be a roster spot left for an Australian guard. But his focus is on helping the Rollers.

“In the last few days I’ve watched a lot of film of their games so far and they don’t really have much of an identity as a group at the moment,” Martin said.

“They don’t have their staple diet … the really good teams, you look at them and know what they’re going to do and I don’t think they have that at the moment.

“If we can figure out who’s going to be the man for them – because I’m not looking to be the man, I’m looking to find that guy in that group that’s going to stand up – then they’re going to start playing fun basketball.”

The Rollers will attempt to avenge their recent horror loss to Logan at Cornubia tomorrow afternoon.

“It’s surprising they’re 3-4 at the moment,” Martin said. “We’ve got six games on the road coming up and road games make a break teams.”