Injuries hammer Jets’ hopes
Injuries and misfortune have derailed a promising season for the Manawatu¯ Jets.
Having assembled a good team this year, the Jets finished the NBL ninth from the 10 teams, with four wins and 13 losses in a season where they put in good performances, but failed to deliver in other matches.
They lost 96-68 to the Bay Hawks in Napier on Thursday and their final game of the season against the Nelson Giants on Sunday was cancelled because the Giants were unable to leave Nelson due to flooding.
Injuries really hurt the Jets, with Shane Temara (ankle and burst appendix), Troy Temara (knee), Deandre Daniels (shoulder), Jake Mckinlay (knee) and Ashton Mcqueen (ankle) all on the sideline by the end of the year.
That was five of their top eight players and they didn’t have the depth to cover their absence, especially in the forwards, as the Temara brothers, Daniels and Mckinlay were all the Jets’ big men. Mckinlay dislocated his knee and Shane Temara badly sprained his ankle in the firstround game against the Saints.
Temara’s appendix later burst and he required two operations. He should be out of hospital in the next week.
Coach Tim Mctamney bemoaned the injury toll.
‘‘The schedule to start the season really hurt us. We came right and started playing very well. Then of course that Saints game – two major injuries in the first half and after that an injury every week from then.
‘‘By the end of the season we were running on fumes.
‘‘We played really, really well despite that.’’
Mctamney said younger players such as Finn Lally, Kalib Mullins, Nikau Mccullough, Tukaha Cooper and Isaac Morrison played more minutes than they would have expected at the start of the year, which should help their development.
Mctamney said the Jets started to look a good team, but injuries made life difficult.
‘‘If we lost one it might have been OK. Losing four, and all the same position, that’s the biggest thing... We were joking anyone over six foot eight seemed to get hurt.’’
At the start of the year they had hoped to snare fourth spot in the playoffs, but their hopes were extinguished as the injuries and losses mounted. A result that hurt them was a game against the
Otago Nuggets, where a scoring error meant the match went to overtime when the Jets had actually won. Otago sneaked ahead in overtime.
There was also off-court controversy during the away game against the Saints. No details of the incident were released, but a spectator reported seeing a brawl among the Jets bench and Troy Temara was suspended for a week.
Mctamney was unsure about his future, but said he would continue to help the team.
In the Jets’ season awards, Knight was named most valuable player, Daniels the defensive player of the year, Finn Lally clubman of the year, Shane Temara the coach’s choice and Jayden Bezzant won players’ player.