TCroc
Years ago
With the NBL future looking much more brighter than in 2016 do you think the townsville crocs can return sooner rather than later? It seems as though Cairns and Wollongong are getting a bit more love and support from the NBL as of recent.
I really hope not. They had poor attendances and once the nostalgic effect wares off, they'll struggle again.
Cant just bring a product back into the community with no changes to make it work better, than it should've previously.
Tassie is due next up, I think.
anonnnn
Years ago
Would be good for the crocs to come back but i think tassie is the main focus. Any idea when a tasmanian team is going to be confirmed or not?
Peter Pan
Years ago
Are you talking about those ugly looking shoes that were popular a few years ago or the basketball club that played out of an RSL hall? Only if Glesson returns as coach will bringing back the Crocs be a worthwhile and successful endeavour.
Jack Toft
Years ago
The Crocs were essentially sponsored by Maccas. If someone in FNQ has got $5M to burn each year, then hey, why not?
Nope.
And i don't have anything against cairns and the hawks, but I'll be shocked if they're still around in 3 years time. They'll just reach a point where they can't compete with the major cities and fold.
Perthworld
Years ago
I can't remember the ownership at the time anymore but whoever it was when they decided to appoint a school principal as CEO it was always going to be the beginning of the end. What a hilariously dumb move.
12% unemployment and the home of the cowboys? the Nbl ship has sailed..
Nbl1 looks like the best place for Townsville to make a national comeback.
The taipans should change their name to north qld taipans and use the crocs as a feeder club.
If they don't the taipans will end up in nbl1 as well unfortunately.
Yes I agree the Taipans should merge! This is a no brainer. The Taipans did a false study/poll years ago (that they trot out to anyone who asks) about whether Townsville people would support the merger. They asked a tiny minority who said they wouldn't. This is utter RUBBISH!!!! Townsville is basketball/sport mad and are dying for Hoops to be back there! They've got one of the better junior programs in the country, as well as a WNBL and really strong state league programs.
Unfortunately the league is no better off with a team from Townsville in it (as Cairns already ticks the Nth QLD box) but the Taipans should 100% increase their membership and sponsorship reach in Nth QLD.
The problem is the incestual ties between the Taipans and "Cairns Basketball". Control of the Taipans is never questioned because there are so many ties to CBA. Board members for the Taipans even work jobs at CBI. If they broke away from Cairns Basketball is the reality is that management would be far more vulnerable and less protected. How else can you survive a season like last year and everyone keep their jobs?
As long as there is a Taipans/CBI connection the club cannot grow, and will only be around until the league sets the bar too high for them to reach!
Don't get it twisted, setting the bar higher is exactly what the league should be doing! It's show business, not show-friends and poor little me!
^ Congrats, you got something wrong in every paragraph.
Would like the names to be... 12 teams
Northern Taipans
Brisbane Bullets
Sydney Kings
Illawara Hawks
Canberra Cannons
Melbourne Tigers
S.E Melbourne Phoenix
Southern Huskies
Adelaide 36ers
Perth Wildcats
Auckland Breakers
Wellington Saints
Future 4
Geelong
Newcastle
Gold Coast
NZ 3
Trying to merge 2 cities that are rivals and also 350 km apart seems like a guaranteed fail to me
I'm saying merge 2 teams, keep playing in cairns but call the team north qld taipans for sponsorship opportunities with the qld state government and tourism qld.
Plus at the same time it will put a stop to another team from north qld starting up in the future.
northern qld area can only handle one NBL team, there’s plenty of opportunities in nbl1 for all the other north qld teams to grow and feed the north qld taipans.
Anyone that mention the "Southern Huskies" clearly knows nothing. They are a tainted brand and owe shit loads of money everywhere.
Kestleman has already said Tasmania will be in the title, and obviously you don't know that.
Everything else is pointless after that. Sorry.
Rod
Years ago
i can only hold onto any kind of hope there is left.
facts are Townsville as a city is in a pretty big hole with high unemployment, high crime and not a lot of money coming in. All of the millionaires that lived here in the 80s and 90s have moved on either physically or moved on with their life.
Townsville has won 2 QBL championships over the past 3 years to try to stay relevant and will continue to do that in NBL1.
At this point, there is a huge following of the sport in the city but just not enough money and corporate dollars to support the Cowboys, Fire and another national team. Everyone is struggling. All we can do is hold onto hope, keep investing in our juniors and state league and then try again in 10, 15 maybe 20 years time.
I wont give up, but i'm also realistic.
^there is always hope Rod but I feel nbl1 is the future for Townsville crocs and it's not a bad thing. This is just the beginning for nbl1, in a few years it will be huge sort of like a nba summer league cross g league type of thing. It will give so many more young Australian and nz players a platform to promote them selfs to NBL, euro, us college teams. It’s exciting times for Australian basketball.
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