What are your thoughts, Podge?

Regardless of what people think of his style, one thing we can all agree on is that many more have achieved far far less with far more resources.

Enormous contribution to the club and basketball up here. I don't think a more passionate advocate for cairns basketball exists, and I wish he had gotten a chance to hoist that trophy he got so close too twice. He’s done more than enough to have his bright orange tie hung from the rafters.

With all the pressure and surrounding narratives that would have come with signing him again long term, I think the board made the right decision. Onwards and upwards, this opens us up to signing the Balls with Lavar coaching the team.

The Cairns Big Ballers.

Manu, i'm 100% all in on that.

Yeah I'm feeling much the same. In all respects. LaMelo and Gelo baby, let's get it!

No NBL full-time spots for him by the looks.

If Illawarra don't want Bevo, they wouldn't want Fearne either. I'd like to see him replace Lemanis or Gleeson. Probably Lemanis. Wouldn't it be something... yet another from Cairns to Brisbane

I wouldn't be surprised if he got a high level job in the US. He’s bloody highly regarded by those that count.

I know someone will have the figures, but when I was in Cairns once (at the end of one season) the local rag trotted out some numbers as far as his win %, which had him at the top of the pack for coaches.

Anyone have his win/loss record at Cairns?

Jack it sits at about 49.3% i think. 124w 128l

I could see him being a great college coach in the US. Probably not flexible enough at the NBL level overall - gets a lot out of role players, but doesn't give his imports much freedom.

Fearne wasn't that flash as a pro coach but he could really find his calling as a college coach. The dictatorial, fit into my system or hit the road style.

Nah the club just got a breath of fresh air. They'll be pushing for playoffs imo next season

Podge,

How was Mick Downer received in his time up here? Did he leave on hood terms?

I think Micky is a bloody good bloke, if that counts. I'd love to see him back.

Don't want him in Brisbane. Kthxbai.

Don't know if this is the place for it, but how will this decision sit with the likes of Gliddon and/or McCarron?

someone did a rundown of the top 5 potential nbl coaches out there recently, Liam flynn, Shawn Dennis and mock downer were all on there.

I wonder if Pearlman will get the tap or if they'll have a bit more ambition than that.

Liked your summary and comments about Fearne @Kingpodge. I also think @AngusH's comment that Fearne got a lot out of role players but didn't give his imports much freedom is accurate.

When Fearne took over the club was in dire straits and somewhat of a rabble from a team point of view and he changed that. However I think it is now time for a new voice.

agree, would like someone from outside the organisation to come in and build something new and shake things up a bit. worst move would be to bring in downer or Pearlman and get fearne 2.0.

That grand final in year 2 was nothing short of amazing. I still pinch myself.

If his win/loss ratio is really 49.3%. Does he deserve high props? Could it be interpreted as one good year with some passable and subpar seasons?

Last season the way he capitulated against the Wildcats in the SF despite having Home Court was a big flag. He also had Trice and Mitchell both decent.

I am glad his time is over, I think Cairns could do better.

There comes a time when 'we are regional', ' we are tru blu battlers' BS gets a little tiring. If the organisation is willing to accept a sub-.500 WL because of it's location they might as well shut up shop.

Perth was a shit hole in the late 80's and early nineties. Imagine if they said 49% was a success?

Come on in Geordie....

Hate to say it because he seems like a prick, but LoveBroker is spot on.

It's something we talked about in a thread earlier this season, and it's so true. You can't accept mediocrity

Sure, Cairns can do better...with more money and a better squad.
Is that happening next season?

"Sure, Cairns can do better...with more money and a better squad.
Is that happening next season?"

Yes I believe it will happen.

On the better squad front, the league is giving Cairns a $100k import next year for FREE.

Cairns biggest dilemma here is explaining to their other 3 imports why Import #4 is making more than them collectively.

"Regardless of what people think of his style, one thing we can all agree on is that many more have achieved far far less with far more resources."

Measuring yourself against Damopolous' United and Gaze's Kings as a yeardstick for success is a indicator you were struggling.


" I wish he had gotten a chance to hoist that trophy he got so close too twice."

He did get the chance to 'hoist that trophy', twice, he wasn't...you know....successful.


"He's done more than enough to have his bright orange tie hung from the rafters."

Absolutely there is plenty of space up there. Will it be tied as a noose or too soon?

I'm really intrigued by the Taipans organization and what they do to make the best of this situation. They need to play a more attractive brand and now they have the opportunity to make sure they do that.

Super sad that they didn't win a grand final series back in the day but we can't change that.

Well done to all that Fearne has done in this league, especially with a voice that's like nails on a chalk board.

I wonder what no Fearne does for Jawai as we know they are tight.

I wonder if this helps or hinders McCarron, Gliddon and Weeks staying in Cairns

Proud; like nails down a multi lingual blackboard.
We're in for some interesting times in the next couple of weeks to say the least ;)

Bit of a weird situation for Cairns. Do your due diligence with coach recruitment, but do it relatively quickly so players know what they're getting into. Gliddon and McCarron won't sign until they know who's coaching them

I wouldn't be surprised if they had a fax machine filled with resumes already, Manu. You sent your paperwork in yet?

Wouldn’t be impossible to complete the due deligence and get a coach signed before free agencies starts. I’d be surprised if any FAs in the league sign before testing their value.

Is there a rule in the NBL that covers clubs contacting free agents?

If I'm Perth and the like, I'm recruiting right now.

Yeah I have. I specialise in encouragement, rather than gameplan

I think it's still the rule that clubs can’t negotiate with outside players till FA, though Clubs can grant players early releases when needed.
That’s why all the player movement rumours are garbage so far.

Wasn’t encouragement over game plan Joe Connelly’s plan at the kings?

Yeah Joe and I are tight. He taught me all I know. Hence why I'm so confident in doing this job

I also love dressing poorly

Oh, and I sweat a lot. All but a lock for this job

Hahaha good ole Joe. I think he's too busy with the Big3 to apply for the Taipans job.

Thank Zeus.

You guys still fax applications huh?

sorry can't reply, my beeper is going off.

You haven't paged me in a while actually, Podge?

Did you get that Nokia you've been talking about? I'm thinking about upgrading my Commodore 64, what you think I should get?

It's been broken, couldn’t find the vacuum resistor it needed.

I’m using a telex atm to post on hoops, it’s quite refreshing.

Haha nah dude, that's all before my time. Complete gibberish

Hahaha yeah, I think this thread my count against our Head Coach applications..

I'm backing myself.

Who you going for in Perth v Adelaide? I'm actually rooting for the Cats

I like the way the 36ers play, but the brain is going with Perth. I can't tip against one of the most successful sporting franchises in the world, with the leagues MVP - even if they're coached by Trevor...

I just want whoever wins to beat Melb...... really.... that's all i want...

I'm all up on the Melbourne wagon. They deserve it. Playing as a team; United, finally, after so many years.

They didn't play as much of a team tonight, but I put that down to nerves

Yeah, that's a fair point.

what about matt knight?

I mean Matthew Nielsen hhahah

Manu and podge

Sorry for taking so long to get back on hoops

It was a cloudy morning so the rooster couldn't read the time on my sundial.

Btw my C64 still runs the tape recorder memory.

I’ve still gotta train the carrier pigeons to find Cairns. My theodolite’s still out on loan to that young Amelia lass who’s taking it in her flying machine near the Sandwich Isles.

My son reckons he could use his inter web or drone, but I don’t trust that newfangled stuff with delivering my ability to coach young ment to put a ball in a peach basket.

Tell your pigeon it isn't so hard. You just pass the bridge, then many furlongs until you find the rolling hills. Then past the river and 17 more leagues and you have arrived.

I don't think there is an easier way to get to town

A real lack of love for Fearne here.

His results speak for themselves. 9 seasons, 2 grand finals, 4 seasons winning 15 games or more, winning 11 games or more every single year.

He's been coaching a budget franchise who could never afford elite imports like Cotton, Ware or Randle. Instead, Fearne had to trawl through the college ranks to unearth stars like Wilbekin or Trice. And regularly found his team outbidded as they left for other clubs (Ubaka, Wilson, Trice, Dorsey....).

I'm not sure we all appreciate how tough it is for a regional team like Cairns to win a title, when they're competing against well funded outfits like Perth and United, or the Breakers with most of the NZ national team.

Here's a question- since the NBL has been fully professional over the past 25-30 years, how many small clubs have won a championship? Cairns, Townsville, Illawarra, Newcastle/Hunter etc. You've probably got close to 100 seasons there for 1 solitary win by Illawarra in 2001. Yet Fearne has gotten the Taipans very close- twice.

I think given the circumstances Fearne has done well. Good luck to him.

I'm still finalising my app for the coaching job at Cairns. Chipping away (with chisel on stone) at my cv.

My anticipated remuneration package is in the range of 50 to 60 denarri per day with a finals bonus of 2 fatted calves.

I would have applied for the Kings job, but old mate Drewie has already taken JVGs 30 pieces of silver to sell out Sydney basketball.

He didn't really need to trawl through college ranks to find Wilbekin or Trice given they went to 2 of the biggest colleges in the ncaa.
Also not sure they were "outbidded" for Trice. Think you'll find he wanted out, as did Torrey Craig.

Didn't Joel Khalu make a plausible claim to Fearne's job just a few weeks back?
Picked up a Cairns Post on a recent trip and was a tad surprised at how undisguised his pitch was, even though presented as just 'commentary'.
Suspect Joel would have the support of at least one Board member.

Not sure about that. Didn't the same article say he was overlooked for the Marlins job because he had to make peace with some people within Cairns Basketball? If anything I get the feeling he's ruffled the wrong feathers.

@snooch - From different comments made by Trice, Jordan Gerrans of the Cairns Post, Trice's agent and the Taipans, I got the impression that Trice would have been happy enough to return but money was the issue.

Trice's relationship with Fearne got a lot better as the season went on

Twinkletoes, yeah that's right, I remember that article.

"You've probably got close to 100 seasons there for 1 solitary win by Illawarra in 2001. Yet Fearne has gotten the Taipans very close- twice."

Launceston won in 1981. But they were backed by the casino there, which meant they had (for those times) plenty of money behind them.

Arguably, Canberra was a regional city when the Cannons won their titles in the 1980s. The population there was similar to the Illawarra's and Newcastle/Lake Macquarie's, and it was only 20% larger than Cairns' current population. The main differences would have been the higher socioeconomic status of residents and the label of "national capital", relative to those other areas.

Would be interesting to know Fearne's winning percentages in home and away games relative to other coaches.