Poor away record due to tight budget: Martin
FORMER Hawks guard Rhys Martin attributes Illawarra’s poor record in Cairns to the club’s small budget, with key factors such as massages and physiotherapy not as attainable as at a home game.
The Taipans will have history on their side tomorrow, as the Far North club has beaten Illawarra in its last eight straight home games and won 11 of its past 14 matches overall.
Cairns is the only venue respected Hawks mentor Rob Beveridge has never won at in his time coaching the Hawks.
The 32-year-old Martin, who was with the NSW club for a decade before not being offered a contract this off-season, says the wheels of a basketball club can fall off pretty quickly if the squad is not prepared. “The Hawks have had a pretty poor history with any kind of travel, being an under-budget team,” the veteran point guard said.
“One of the first things that goes is all the things off the court — they do not have the capacity to put money into food, massage, physio and a team doctor; all those things cost more money on the road.
“The Hawks have traditionally cut costs on the road and those are the things that have gone first.
“They are the little bits and pieces that go into getting an athlete ready for a game and when they are gone, the wheels can start to fall off.”
While the Hawks did not have the home comforts in Martin’s time in Cairns, he did praise the efforts of sport scientist Stephen Bird, who helped on the club’s northern trips.
Meanwhile, Cairns vicecaptain Lucas Walker is likely to make his return from ankle surgery tomorrow.