‘Package deal’: Colleges hunting Townsville duo Rory Hawke and Luca Yates on their return from Canberra
Joined at the hip. It is a phrase that perhaps best sums up Townsville basketball guns Rory Hawke and Luca Yates.
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Joined at the hip. It is a phrase that perhaps best sums up Townsville basketball guns Rory Hawke and Luca Yates.
The pair dominated the region’s junior scene together, made the move to Canberra with mere months in between and have been working the same job since returning to North Queensland for the Christmas period.
“We still work, you have to get Christmas presents for everyone. We’ve been doing some demolition in the city, just breaking down walls and ripping up floors,” Yates said.
“You can’t be sitting on the couch all day.”
“We’re a package deal I suppose,” Hawke said.
Come 2023, they could end up at the same college.
Hawke and Yates have been making waves in the Australian capital at the Basketball Australia Centre of Excellence and NBA Global Academy respectively.
Already the pair have been fielding offers from systems in the United States, however their final decision will come after their quest to the under-19 FIBA World Cup is complete.
But at this stage, they have kept exactly who the college offers have come from to themselves, even remaining secretive from each other.
“A few have shown interest, it’s a bit exciting but stressful as well. There’s a few schools I’m keen on, I just have to narrow it down,” Hawke said.
“It was exciting at first, then overwhelming and sort of a bit stressful, so I’ll try to put it aside until the end of this year.”
“I don’t know who’s hitting him up, he doesn’t know who’s hitting me up,” Yates said.
“After under-19s I’ll go to college and maybe make the move over there, or if the NBL gives me a call I’d prefer to go there, but my options are open at the moment.”
It has taken time for the pair to adjust into such a high performance environment, but already they are seeing the fruits of their efforts.
Covid-19 has hindered them to an extent, limiting the duo and their respective camps to opposed sessions with the rest of the Academy players, rather than previously scheduled tournaments.
“It took a few months, going from being really good at the Townsville level and then it felt like it took a few months (to settle),” Hawke said.
“It’s elite, we train every day. It’s an elite environment, very focused on basketball and training every day.
“It took a few weeks to get used to it, I was pretty sore for a few weeks there at the start.”
Hawke and Yates will return to Canberra in January to begin preparations for their pursuit of the under-19s World Cup, with qualification tournaments and the Asia Cup to take place next year.
It marks the Yates’ final decision as to where his allegiance lies, having previously been sounded out by New Zealand.
However the towering teenager said despite his heritage, he felt he needed to repay the faith Australia had shown in him.
“I was just keeping my options open. I‘m from New Zealand and love the country, but I’ve grown up in Australia playing my basketball,” Yates said.
“I’ll stay loyal to the Australian basketball community considering they’ve put all this time and effort into me.”
‘Things have a funny way of working out’: Opal hints at long-term stay
Where else would Lauren Nicholson get to go paddle boarding with Wallabies legend Lote Tuqiri?
It was a small moment that illustrated to the Fire co-captain what made life off the court such a unique experience in Townsville, and perhaps what could tie the Opal to the WNBL club for the long haul.
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“I got to paddle with Lote probably about a month or two ago now and that was a fun time out on The Strand. We were out there laughing so hard, he fell off like a thousand times — it was the funniest day ever,” Nicholson said.
“I’ve had a great two years here, I’ve loved it; I’ve loved it on the court, but also really off the court and there’s so much to do here.
“Things have a funny way of working out, but I will say if you love it somewhere it’s definitely more likely that you’ll stay and it is a place I really love.”
Nicholson launched her second season in Fire colours with a bang, guiding her side to a 70-59 triumph over an Adelaide Lightning outfit stacked with four WNBA players.
After a third quarter blitz which put Townsville’s lead out to 22 points, the home side fought back to be within a basket deep into the final term.
All it took was two Nicholson plays after a time-out to suddenly steady the ship, but the Australia guard said there was never a moment where she felt fazed by the tense circumstances.
Finishing the contest with 24 points, four rebounds and six assists, the 28-year-old said composure under pressure came naturally to her, and would be something she continued to embody throughout the campaign.
“I never felt in doubt just with the quality of players that we have, and towards the end of the gam someone had to step up and make plays and it just so happened that it was me,” Nicholson said.
“But it’ll be someone else in another game, and I think that’s the beauty of our team is that anyone on any given night is capable of making baskets and making plays when it matters.
“I love high pressure situations, I always have. I don’t like them so much when I’m sitting on the bench, but when I’m out there I wouldn’t say I really get stressed.
“I thrive in those situations and it's something that I love doing and being a part of the more years that I play.”
Making the 2021/22 more memorable for Nicholson is the leadership responsibility placed on her shoulders.
Tasked with being the Fire's co-captain alongside championship-winning veteran Mia Murray, this is the second time in Nicholson’s career she has had the ‘C’ next to her name.
But this time, she said, felt different.
It held a deeper meaning to her now — both because of the position she was in as a player, and the calibre of person she was sharing the duties with.
“I have been a co-captain previously when I played in Adelaide, but this feels a little more special just to do it with someone like Mia, who has been around the club is a club legend,” Nicholson said.
“She’s born to be a captain so I’m still learning off her, and it’s really great to do it alongside her.
“Now that I’m a bit older I think it means a little more. I am one of the oldest on the team so I do have to lead by example and keep the girls accountable when I can.”
Tonight, in what will be Townsville’s first home clash of the season — and at their new court at the Entertainment Centre — Nicholson will square off with her former dynamic duo partner Shyla Heal.
The 20-year-old was crucial in the Fire’s charge to last year’s grand final, however she will now be spearheading the Sydney Uni Flames attack in her first match back in North Queensland.
Heal’s combination with Nicholson became one of the WNBL’s headline acts in 2020, but Nicholson said as much as the two continued to share a friendship that would be thrown out the window come tip off.
“I’m excited, I loved playing with Shyla. She’s a quality player and a quality person, but you know she plays for Sydney now and it’ll definitely be a battle,” she said.
“We won’t let her have anything easy that’s for sure.”
Long-distance relationship that’s stoking the Fire
— Matthew Elkerton
It is the long-distance relationship that was a breeze for Fire assistant coach Mason Rogers to maintain.
While he returned to his native Victoria in the WNBL off-season, even picked up a head coaching gig of his own at Dandenong’s NBL1 South side, the Fire and more importantly the club’s mentor was never far from his mind.
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Rogers said his first season under Fire head coach Shannon Seebohm had been one of the best learning experiences of his career and he wasn’t prepared to let it go in the off-season.
“I am absolutely thrilled to be back,” Rogers said. “Last year was by far the best experience of my life. The group we had last year, every person was awesome and Shannon is the best mentor you could ask for.
“We spoke at the end of last year about me coming back up this season. We would speak every couple of days. There were 30 minute phone calls throughout the NBL 1 season and they quickly bumped out to four hour phone calls.
“We’re very similar people. Once we start talking basketball, it’s hard to get us to stop.
“It has been good to have a whole year to chat and to strategise and talk recruitment. It is great that he is so willing to include me and Tania (Baxter) in those discussions around recruitment.”
Rogers was forced to do two weeks quarantine upon his arrival in Queensland but he used that time to further develop plans around the Fire’s structures and styles.
The assistant coach said the side, who played in last year’s grand final against the Southside Flyers, would maintain the style that made them successful but there was definitely a few differences.
“We have a lot of trust in our system and I think there is a lot of confidence within the (playing) group and coaching staff considering what we achieved,” he said.
“We want to take what we did last year and push it further. Make it more modern and take it further into the way you see top level European basketball sides play.
“We have adjusted stuff. It is the same style of play – fast pace, playing out of pick and roll and lots of shooting. But we have made changes based on new players and new concepts that we didn’t have a chance to try out last season.
“There were a few things I trialled while I was in the NBL1, and the good thing is Shannon is really open minded when it comes to that. He is the head coach and it’s his system but he has been very open to different suggestions.”
Rogers said it was hard to compare the success of last year to what he believed the team could achieve this season but he was adamant the Fire was in a strong position ahead of their opening clash against Adelaide on Saturday.
“I think we are a lot further ahead than we were last pre-season,” he said. “A lot of the girls came up early to get in shape and get stronger. I think we are in a really good spot.”
FIRE IMPORT NOT GUARANTEED A STARTING ROLE
SHE is part of a group of US imports dubbed the strongest in WNBL history, but Fire point guard Sug Sutton has not been guaranteed a starting role according to skipper Lauren Nicholson.
Sutton has made an immediate impression since her arrival from WNBA outfit Chicago Sky a month ago, and has entered a red hot battle for the starting point guard role.
She has had strong competition from young gun Steph Reid, who remained in Townsville over the off-season working with Fire coach Shannon Seebohm at the Flames.
Reid was a crucial part of the Flames run to the NBL1 North finals and has the runs on the board averaging 18 points and five assists per game.
The pair are battling to replace emerging Opal Shyla Heal, who has joined the Sydney Flames under champion dad Shane Heal.
“Shyla is a stud and I loved playing with her. But she has moved on, and I think having Sug in the line-up is something really special,” Nicholson said.
“She has a different set of skills to what Shyla did and I think it is exciting brining someone of her WNBA calibre into our team.
“I think there is a battle (for that point guard role). I think Steph has come a really long way in the last 12 months and she is playing really well at the moment.
“(But) Sug has come in with the right attitude and she is playing well too.
“No starting spot is safe in this team. Everyone is still in a battle and we are (less than) a week out from the season.”
The Fire will start their campaign away from home against Adelaide Lightning on Saturday night before returning to play the Flames on December 18.
Unique bond at the heart of the Fire’s quest for title
ONE is a three time WNBL champion and the other will apparently ‘claw your eyes out’ if teammates don’t stay on their game.
Meet the Fire’s dynamic dup determined to deliver another WNBL title to Townsville.
While Mia Murray was only joking when she described co-captain Lauren Nicholson’s intensity in training, the Fire veteran was adamant it was a quality she wanted to harness in their partnership.
The pair were unveiled as the side’s leadership duo at Thursday’s season launch with coach Shannon Seebohm putting faith in them to lead through action as much as their words.
“We both lead in different ways,” Murray said. “Lauren lights up a room no matter where she goes and she makes any team better but by the same token she will rip your eyeballs out if she wants the ball from you.
“It is her intent and the way she goes about the game, she is (switched) on with every possession. It is something our group really needs.
“For me, I have the experience and I know what it takes to win the championship. I have gone the distance three times and especially in a longer season where we will be travelling home and away. I feel like I have a good relationship with everyone in the team where if they feel like they need to talk to someone, I will always listen.
“We have different leadership styles and I think we will bounce off each other really well.”
The Fire shocked the competition last season when they took advantage of the North Queensland hub to advance to the grand final before they narrowly missed out against Southside Flyers.
But Nicholson knows their opposition will not miss the scout this season, and there will be a target on the back of the Orange Army.
The star guard, who finished second in the race for the WNBL MVP last season, will realise one of her dreams when she leads the team onto the court for the first time.
It was almost an inevitable that Nicholson would eventually take the captain’s armband at a WNBL organisation, but still the natural leader has refused to take the job lightly.
“I think naturally as I have gotten older I have fallen into the role of being leader, but actually being named a captain and especially for the Fire, it is a dream of mine and I am pretty proud,” Nicholson said.
“Last season I led by example on the court, that is always what I have done. But this season being a bit more vocal off the court and at trainings is something I am still working on. I will still lead by example on the court and make sure everyone is working hard and putting in.”
The Fire have maintained the main core of the team that fought its way to last year’s grand final, with the only additions their two overseas imports Sug Sutton and Monique Billings.
They have lost the experience of Kate Gaze and the talent of young guard Shyla Heal, but Nicholson said the fact the squad had remained relatively unchanged would be crucial to their success this season.
It was one of the major reasons the star recruit was the first to put ink to another deal at the end of last season.
“I just knew we had the same core group of people wanting to return,” she said.
“Last season was so fun and enjoyable. If you want to call it work, I loved going to work every day at the Fire. What we did on the court was pretty special and I want to do that again and even go one better.
“I think that is half the battle, putting a team together that get along well off the court as much as they do on it. I think we have got that in our group. It really helps when you are out there playing knowing we have got each other’s backs.”
Originally published as ‘Package deal’: Colleges hunting Townsville duo Rory Hawke and Luca Yates on their return from Canberra
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