Would the Taipans be playing in the Townsville Entertainment Centre or that shitty rec centre the Crocs played out their final days in?

The head of Townsville basketball was suggesting that Townsville had two suitable stadiums for the Taipans to play in. I was thinking no mate you've got one, possibly not even that.

Would the Taipans be playing in the Townsville Entertainment Centre or that shitty rec centre the Crocs played out their final days in?

^ Koberulz is right... saw Nick Kay beginning his journey in that last season

Well somebody screwed the pooch.
February?? Even with the delay, the season will be almost over.

I guess the league can try and delay as many home games as possible, but that won't come close to fixing the issue.

I don't now what would be better? Do you ...
Sell games to Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth, and turn a nice profit,
Hire a fleet of busses to transport everyone to Townsville, or
Use a local venue (assuming one is available) with greatly diminished spectators?

It's already looking like the season will be pushed back a month so I hope that the damage won't be too drastic.

We have an uneven schedule where we play some teams only three times so could Cairns miss out on that home game this season (of the teams you play 3 times) and they get those back the season after ?

Or could Cairns have a heavily backended schedule with lots of double headers later in the season and lots of single game weekends until new year.

All the same to the Taipans, I wish you all the luck for the season ahead and even in your recruiting.

Wouldn't Taipans be the main tenant in the scheme of things? Why wouldn’t they just delay until August next year?

Townsville for a year would kill cairn’s financially.

Apparently what happened is that the new seating on the upgrade is being ordered from Germany and the walk-in freezers come from France. The factories that make those items have closed down because of COVID-19 and are no longer able to get them finished and shipped out to Australia on schedule.

There are no other local venues. The Fishtank (Cairns basketball HQ/Taipans training venue) holds 300 and is basically a school gym.

If they can get the schedule right they can make it work. I'm sure there would be interest for a game or two in Townsville, especially if the Taipans can play a couple of higher-profile teams there. I also wonder whether the convention centre may be insured against delays and the Taipans may see some of this money.

Townsville would welcome the Taipans with open arms! I know I woud be doing everything i could to drum up support and get ticket sales. IF, if Townsville ever wanted a NBL team again this would be a great display of support.

And there is one thing us regional Queenslanders unite for, it's us vs the big city :)

Open air games?

I guess you don't know what you've got until it's gone, Anon. The basketball community here in Townsville is very strong, Townsville Fire have been doing very well in the WNBL and the Heat have done well in the QBL since the Crocs left. The love for the sport is still there and none of the bad taste around the Crocs management will be a deterrent.

Cairns and Townsville have a competitive energy - there is no hate. If there is no competition then we work together to put NQ & FNQ on the map!

Rod speaks the truth - we may not like each other but we like everyone else less, so we are always happy to band together against the rest of the nation :)

Seriously, we do work together, but forget any ideas about combining as an NQ team - the distance (400km) is too great.

And yeah, you can pack nearly 1000 people into the Fishtank, but not under social distancing regulations.

There will be a media conference this afternoon (Tuesday) at 1.00pm.

what was said in the media conference today Gordon G?

Dunno yet, Rod. I wasn't there. As soon as they make an announcement, I'll post it.

No media release as yet, but the headline from the Cairns Post is:

"Cairns Taipans rule out relocation

BASKETBALL The Cairns Taipans will not relocate for the NBL 2020-21 season as fears grow they will be left homeless this summer."

The article itself is behind a paywall, but partly says that the Taipans are working with the State Government to get some of the works re-scheduled.

If you have the option, here's the link (should work, I think):

https://www.cairnspost.com.au/sport/cairns-taipans-rule-out-relocation-for-nbl-as-home-court-upgraded

What if there are existing contracts in place with time lines?

If I were the government I would refuse to move the construction if penalties are involved.

Media Release is a video and I'm not sure if I'm allowed to share it here.

"Hon. Curtis Pitt & Taipans President Troy Stone

CQUniversity Cairns Taipans President Troy Stone has stood with the Speaker of Queensland Parliament and Member for Mulgrave Curtis Pitt today regarding delays to the Cairns Convention Centre redevelopment, and the potential impacts on the Taipans' 2020-21 NBL season.

Additional comments from NBL owner and Executive Chairman Larry Kestelman:

"The NBL and the Cairns Taipans are in discussions with the Queensland Government about the timing of the upgrade of the Cairns Convention Centre. While we welcome the redevelopment, we have asked the Government to schedule the relevant works after the NBL season is completed so as to minimise disruption for the Taipans and their fans.

“We intend to have fans back in venues when our season is scheduled to start later this year and the Convention Centre is the only viable venue to host NBL in Cairns and it would be disastrous for the competition and the community if it was not available. We look forward to reaching agreement with the Government as a matter of urgency to ensure that we can continue to bring world class sport and entertainment to the people of Cairns this season."

https://www.taipans.com/news/hon-curtis-pitt-and-taipans-president-troy-stone

I like the leverage they are using. Smart

I'm positive they dont want to!...

Townsville people would show up if done right, Townsville crocs become defunct due to pis poor management they go from being a power house through the early and mid 2000's to dieting an extremely slow death, as the quality of the league went down and the quality of the team lowered the crocs prices sky rocketed, the game nights become boring outside of th basketball hence losing such a fan base, id have with no doubt if the crocs come back and was done right they would be successful, they just need a financial backer, by bringing cairns here for a few games im sure that would show, especially with ex tvs Mike Kelly coaching he will get followers, cairns are a team many didn't think would be good to watch but became very exciting to watch and they could be responsible for assisting Townsville regain a team in the next 5 years.

"Townsville people would show up if done right, ... and they could be responsible for assisting Townsville regain a team in the next 5 years."

The league already use that tactic with their Blitz in Tassie & Brisbane before that. Why not try it in T/ville? If Cairns' games in T/ville work, then maybe follow that up with a T/ville Blitz, and 2 years later, back in the league. If none of that is convincingly positive, and 2 tears later, stays out of the league.

Townsville crocs become defunct due to pis poor management

That last season where they played out of the RSL stadium

The Blitz strategy was used at Townsville as well and got minimal support.

They moved back to the TEC in their last season, after the Blitz and it seemed there was 500 odd people at tip-off at their home opener from my view watching online. That was the death rattle right there.

Yes there was bad management, but it also seemed like the economics of Townsville changed and the core supporter base of basketball fans wasn't there to sustain the team.

They turned their back on the team due to the poor management like screwing over their best player Brian Conklin who I think was the NBL MVP at the time too. The locals still support the Fire and their QBL team strongly.

Honest question, what did they do to screw over Conklin?

Was he the one that "accidentally" elbowed people?

Yes he smashed Damian Martin's jaw then later almost concussed Mitch Creek.

Both players ran into his elbows of course.

A lot of the supporters bailed after the free carpark access ended.

yeah Townsville aint an option really

Cairns needs the jobs now. NBL will be about 76th on the list of considerations when decisions are made for the stadium upgrade.

Is Dennis' Computers still in business? Crocs were lucky to have such a loyal sponsor.

Their last season at RSL Stadium was fun to watch.

Would you mind signing this petition (if you haven't already done so)?

Thanks.

https://www.change.org/p/queensland-government-save-our-cairns-taipans?recruiter=3512920&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_petition&recruited_by_id=2a41e9e0-ccd8-012f-6951-4040acce234c

Considering chipping in some $ but curious what it is used for?

Conklin wasn't sticking his elbows out, he was swinging them. He concussed three different players in the space of one season. Somehow every other big manages to muddle their way through seasons without even concussing one.

Take a look at Conklin's actions and tell me they are natural human mechanics of landing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaby6lryByE

Creek is a tough nut and even he was staggering, he's no petal like Knight.

Cairns could play in Illawarra. I would go to the original Snakepit to watch Cairns. And Mike Kelly has an Illawarra connection

Advice today that we won't be able to get into the Convention Centre until February 4th...

Tomorrow's paywall Cairns Post article:

New Cairns Taipans home court revealed

A brand new basketball arena is proposed to be built in FNQ to keep the Taipans in Cairns to start the upcoming NBL season.

(The old Bunnings building is being converted to make a 'pop-up' basketball stadium)

2000 seats haha wtf

Do they deserve anything better than a 2000 seat shack?

Cairns are in no place to make demands yet saw fit to refuse to relocate, refuse to do that.

The powers that be have been gracious enough to give Cairns an interim solution, something they were not bound by law to do at all.

Now can you afford Machado still? He can always come to Adelaide.

Hawks playin Newcastle Wollongong, Canberra. Stupid...

Now you've got cairns moving to bunnings, maybe Townsville. Stupid.

This was the email I received yesterday from the change.org petition

PETITION UPDATE
Result!
JUL 10, 2020
The Queensland Government is paying for the old Bunnings site in Cairns to be made into a pop up basketball court. It will have temporary seating, the court moved from the Convention Centre, air conditioning, TV grade lighting. It will seat 2000=2500 and the deficit in ticket revenue will be compensated.
The best result we could hope for next to the Convention Centre being available.
A Win for the people of Cairns.
Thanks for your support everyone!

https://www.change.org/p/queensland-government-save-our-cairns-taipans

Amazing effort by Coleen Lander. We'll done.

This is BS. Why should the taxpayers of Australia compensate the Taipans for something not of their fault?

I abhor entitlement.

At least those taxpayer dollars will stop the Taipans from being trash which is a trait you abhor.

I have a feeling LB is an entitled type

I abhor misleading topic titles.