Injured skipper reckons loss will wake up the Cyclones
GUTTED is perhaps the nicest way Kyle Reynolds could phrase how he is feeling, with a syndesmosis injury ending his season and a chance at the Reef Bowl this weekend.
However the Townsville Cyclones skipper has remained on deck in a coaching capacity, and sees a drive in the side to return to the top of the North Queensland gridiron podium.
Townsville was cruelled of a perfect season in its last hitout before the championship decider, succumbing to forthcoming opponent Cairns on the road.
It could serve as the ideal wake-up call for the five-time champions. “Travel games in Cairns are always hard, they played well that game and this time around we’re well prepared and rested. They had a bit of a slog against Mackay last weekend, everything is aligning in our favour,” Reynolds said. “There’s still a few lads that have been around the entire time, last year definitely hurt them, but there’s quite a few returning second years who have never been to the big dance.
“They have that fire in the belly to actually win one and then there are the vets who want it again. They have their own motivation and hopefully the fire there.”
The Cyclones will also be without star quarterback Boeden Brunne, whose work at the mines has ensured he misses the clash. But in 17-year-old Corey Jeeves, Reynolds is confident they have the attacking weapon to lead them to victory.
The young gun has stepped up well in Brunne’s absences throughout the campaign, and grown more and more confident in the role.
While Reynolds said the loss of another experienced head was not ideal, he said they had the troops around Jeeves to turn around their fortunes. “Obviously missing him really does hurt, he’s the best quarterback in North Queensland and no one can really touch him,” he said.
“Especially this season where he’s stepped up and had an (offensive line) that can keep the pressure off him.
“Missing him hurts, but the lads have rallied around young Corey.”
HAVING yet to secure a win over their northern rivals, Townsville shooting guard Kynan Mcmahon says there is a new mentality within the Heat’s core.
There are no friends on the court, and they needed to respond accordingly.
The third 2021 instalment of the North Queensland Junior Basketball Championships will tip off at Townsville Stadium tonight, in the final hitout before state titles start after Easter.
While the young Heat outfit has been able to knock off Mackay each time they have played each other, Cairns still eludes the Heat, and Mcmahon said that frustration had driven training to ensure players did not crack under the pressure.
“They throw a lot of pressure on us, and a lot of our players really crack under the pressure,” the 14-year-old said.
“We’ve been trying to prevent that in practice a lot over the past few weeks, and hopefully we can crack that and get up.
“Really it’s been putting new moves in our plays and really trying to go at 110 per cent every time we step on to the court.
“There’s no friends on the court, we’re just trying to be competitive all the time.
“Hopefully some of that anger can come into the game on the weekend and we can go out strong before the state champs. Just getting a little bit of anger up and up and up.”
The Heat will be joined in the tournament by division two side Lighting and its female Flames counterparts.
Each contest has lifted the skill level of the players, and Mcmahon said he had felt his own on-court leadership improve with each outing.
It is a role he is eager to continue building ahead of the Queensland showcase.
“We’re trying to get our skill level up, and I’m trying to evolve as a player as a whole,” Mcmahon said.
“As a top ager too you really have to bring a second level of intensity to the team, you have to lead them out and bring that intensity.
“I prefer it, it’s a good time and I like being the leader. I love the energy, so just trying to get the team involved and if everyone is hyped I’m hyped.”
Townsville Basketball talent and player development officer Peter Crawford said the tournament format was the perfect chance to test the young talent in the region ahead of major spectacles.
He said the talent was there to make an impression.
“The skills levels are there, the guys and the girls are good players, it’s just managing that effort and energy and being constant with that.”