Duco and Parker a good fit: Snedden
saw them slip to the bottom of the standings.
“I’m extremely proud of this group, in terms of what they’ve been through throughout this season and the last few weeks,” said Breakers coach Paul Henare. “Any obstacle that’s put in front of them and anything that’s thrown at them, they just find a way to keep pushing and keep battling for one another.”
That quality was again on display when their injury woes hampered them on this most important of weeks. But, once again, the Breakers were unbowed against Melbourne, exemplifying the steady approach Henare has employed in his first season in charge.
After Akil Mitchell headed back to the United States to seek specialist treatment on his eye, the Breakers suffered another blow when Mika Vukona was scratched. An infected knee saw the skipper confined to a hospital bed — much to Vukona’s undoubted chagrin — and the with- drawal marked just his fifth missed game in 10 years at the club.
But, as Henare often preaches, the injury merely allowed another player an opportunity. And Finn Delany subsequently enjoyed the best game of his rookie campaign, finishing with 13 points and nine rebounds while making pivotal fourth- quarter contributions.
Vukona’s absence also meant Kirk Penney finished the regular season as the only Breaker to start all 28 games and the guard celebrated his durability by bringing up a milestone that spoke to his longevity, becoming the first player to score 3000 points for the club.
Penney ended his night with 15, while back- court mate Kevin Dillard led the way with 16 as the Breakers finished with six players in double digits. But, with playoff- like stakes, it was a rebounding and defensive effort worthy of the post- season that carried the Breakers home, taking control in the third as they limited Melbourne to 32 points in the second half.
“Everyone who stepped on the floor [ last night] embraced the moment and the situation and really stood up when we needed it,” Henare said. “No matter what happens this weekend, everyone involved in this team can hold their heads high.” Breakers 88 ( K. Dillard 16, K. Penney 15, F. Delany 13) Melbourne 70 ( C. Ware 23, J. Boone 10, D. Andersen 10) Halftime: 38- 38 One of the most fascinating contract renewals in New Zealand sport is set for 2019 when Duco’s management agreement with boxer Joseph Parker expires.
The South Auckland athlete has ascended rapidly from a so- so amateur career to WBO world heavyweight champion under the stewardship of the Duco group.
While some scepticism remains over Parker’s bona fides, the fact remains he is only a couple of big wins from a potential unification ( or partial unification) bout with the likes of Britain’s Anthony Joshua, Ukrainian legend Wladimir Klitschko, or American Deontay Wilder.
Last year Parker defeated Mexican Andy Ruiz Jr to win the WBO heavyweight belt vacated by the suspended Tyson Fury. His next fight is against Tyson’s cousin Hughie Fury, probably in April and probably in Auckland, although Duco’s David Higgins has hinted that they could look at Fury’s home town of Manchester to build Parker’s profile and pay- per- view audience in the UK.
Hosting it in the UK would come with the risk of a hometown decision — which some, most notably veteran boxing personality Lance Revill, believe helped Parker against Ruiz Jr — going against the champion.
This i s the point Duco have reached with Parker, where every decision on his future carries huge risk- reward implications.
It is also the sort of the small- fishin- a- pool- full- of- sharks scenario that former Duco CEO Martin Snedden fears will turn Parker’s head.
“Yes, that is a risk,” Snedden said when asked whether Parker will soon feel he has outgrown Duco. “Up until now, the fact Duco i s a small Auckland- based company operating in a big, wide world of boxing hasn’t mattered too much because he’s in the rising part of his career.”
Snedden was convinced Parker wouldn’t renege on the remainder of his contract, which expires in 2019, and is hopeful he’ll recognise that he can achieve everything he wants to under the control of Duco owners Higgins and Dean Lonergan.
“One of the strategies recently, joining hands in a promotional sense with Bob Arum at Top Rank, was to connect with the biggest promoter in world boxing and by doing that start to demonstrate to Joseph and others that there was no downside to staying connected to Duco.”
Snedden said it was impossible to conceive that Parker would have risen through the ranks so quickly were it not for Duco’s “heavy” investment in his talent and the training skills of Kevin Barry, faith that is really only starting to pay off now.
“For Dean to have the skill to get right in the middle of these boxing organisations around the world and basically persuade them that the best thing they could do was to give Joseph the chance to fight for a world title . . . that in itself i s an extraordinary achievement.”
Snedden estimated Parker was about halfway through a career that was destined for a few more twists and turns.
“I hope it ends up being a good story,” he said.
“I would hate for Joseph to end up in the same place that so many other boxers end up, where the money comes in and goes out and they end up regretting it.”
Breakers coach Paul Henare