Cairns Taipans prepare to take on South East Melbourne Phoenix in round 1 of NBL26

From their search for a head coach to only having half a dozen players on their roster in early August before signing its first ever million-dollar man, Cairns have undergone an enormous transformation.

A million reasons why

Jack McVeigh will rightfully insist the move up north wasn’t all about the money, but it’s undeniable that the big payday comes with big expectations.

If anyone is equipped to deliver for a fan base yearning for results behind him, it’s the NBL’s 2024 grand final MVP.

The basketball world already got a taste for what he can do in late game situations in the CODE Sports NBL Blitz, when he nailed a game-tying floater against former club Tasmania near the buzzer.

Forde has indicated that Snakes fans can expect a steady diet of McVeigh isolations when the moment calls for it, but to also prepare for him to create one-on-one opportunities elsewhere.

There’s a lot riding on his shoulders, but an MVP-calibre season is well and truly on the cards.

No Waardenburg... no worries?

Andrew Andrews shapes as the perfect replacement for the released Ashton Hagans, as the club also deals with a significant injury to MVP Sam Waardenburg.

Andrews has been on the club’s radar for some time and has been parachuted in to the Taipans system with very little opportunity to prepare, but with almost a decade of professional basketball under his belt.

They’ll miss him for the season opener down south, as he still makes his way to FNQ after getting the call up.

Cairns fans can expect Andrews to be on deck for their first home clash on September 26 against Brisbane.

It’s on for young and old

At first glance, the Taipans seem to have struck the balance between veteran leadership and the hunger offered by youth.

The likes of McVeigh, Admiral Schofield, Marcus Lee and Andrews know what it takes to be successful in pro basketball, both on and off the court.

If the Snakes’ crop of younger talents - Reyne Smith, 22, Lloyd McVeigh, 21, Mawot Mag, 24 - can provide some energy while also being ready and willing to learn from their more experienced teammates, the Taipans have a shot at something significant this season.

Why Taipans have ‘championship potential’

By all accounts it hasn’t been the smoothest off-season for Far North Queensland’s number one basketball squad, but their coach is adamant they have a team which can compete at the highest level.

Adam Forde himself was only a recent inclusion back into the Cairns Taipans fold, with the four-year head coach only re-signed in June after previously telling the club he wanted to explore international options.

And after another several weeks without much movement in the player space, the Taipans suddenly came through with a bevy of recruits.

Chief among them was McVeigh, but the signings of Admiral Schofield, Marcus Lee and Reyne Smith are nothing to sneeze at either.

“We believe we’ve got championship potential right now,” Forde said.

“Try and convince anyone in that locker room that we’re not competing for a championship.

“I walk away from every day working with these guys with a huge level of confidence.”

Until recently, the Taipans thought they had another key signature locked in when point guard Hagans put pen to paper.

But that plan went up in smoke when it was revealed over the weekend that Hagans would not be trekking to FNQ at all.

The Taipans said in a statement he had been released at the behest of his management due to “personal reasons.”

The preseason has been a disjointed one, but from Forde’s perspective his side is well equipped for the season ahead.

“(The preseason has) been disjointed for multiple teams for multiple reasons,” Forde said.

“We had the Asia Cup going on, so we didn’t get a couple of guys back until late because of that.

“Reyne obviously came in hurt because of that, but he and the medical team done a great job of managing his body so he’ll be ready for round 1.

“Apart from the things we can’t control, it’s been outstanding.”

Forde said the squad had improved significantly since the Code Sports NBL Blitz.

“The squad has come along really well since then, it’s been a productive couple of weeks,” he said.

“Everyone who has been available is in really good shape. Obviously we’re just going to keep logging those reps on the training court.”

The Taipans’ season opener will see them take on South East Melbourne Phoenix at John Cain Arena on Saturday, tip off is at 5.30pm.

Taipans star out until further notice

The Cairns Taipans will be without one of their star players for the early portion of NBL26, with last year’s MVP Sam Waardenburg set to be on the sidelines with an ankle injury until further notice.

The 208cm forward, who was set to suit up for his fourth season with the Snakes, picked up what coach Adam Forde described as a “random little injury” which has now required surgery.

“It’s seemed like the smallest of things that he’s now gone for surgery for (on Monday),” Forde said.

“We’ll find out what his return to play timeline is like.

“The good thing is we’ve got a lot of depth so we can cover for him while he’s out.”

One such member of the group set to cover for Waardenburg is new signing Andrew Andrews, who the Taipans officially unveiled as their replacement for Ashton Hagans.

Andrews is set to fly in to FNQ later this week, with a legitimate chance to be available for round 1 against SEM Phoenix.

While Forde didn’t go into the circumstances surrounding Hagan’s release, he said the crew had very much taken a “next man up” mentality especially in the wake of Andrews’ signing.

“This is the industry, this is the business. It’s out with one, in with the other,” he said.

“Andrew is going to bring a lot more scoring punch than Ashton, which is kind of what we need with Waardenburg out for a stretch.”

Originally published as Cairns Taipans prepare to take on South East Melbourne Phoenix in round 1 of NBL26