‘Get it right’: Inside Taipans’ search for new coach, players, for NBL26

Cairns Taipans remain the only NBL club without a coach locked in for the upcoming season, but president Troy Stone insists they are active on the market. Read what he said, here.

Cairns Taipans remain the only NBL club without a coach locked in for the upcoming season, but president Troy Stone insists they are active on the market.

And the club insists, there will be a plan.

Stone put the privatisation of the Taipans back on the public agenda last week as part of a wide-ranging interview on the current state of the Snakes.

He revealed powerbrokers had been in conversation with potential suitors, and were ready to turn to private ownership - if they had the right buyer.

But fans have been left with more questions than answers with just five players - and no coach - locked in for NBL26.

“We are still going through the process,” Stone said.

“We want to get it right, but it’s more: we have to get it right.”

READ MORE: ‘It has to happen’: Why Taipans must embrace private ownership

Taipans president Troy Stone at the team's offices in Cairns. Picture: Brendan Radke

Despite enthusiasm among supporters and officials alike, the past few years have been disappointing for Cairns, having made just one postseason in the past five campaigns, and two of the past eight.

The two semi final campaigns, one each under Mike Kelly (NBL20) and Adam Forde (NBL23), lit a fire of excitement under the city that was quickly extinguished within 12 months.

Stone said it’s largely down to resources: the Taipans are, more often than not, among the lowest spenders in the league, and have very little room to move in terms of depth or replacement players.

“We have been disappointed in where we finished over these past couple of seasons, and there’s whole bunch of reasons – injury was the biggest for us.” Stone said.

“With a club like ours as it stands, we don’t have the percentage margin for error that a lot of other teams do.

“We can’t bring in a big-name injury replacement player so we have to get our team right, and our coaching right, and we need a lot of other things to go right.

“We proved how good we could be but we don’t have the contingency at this point in time for the injury hassles we had last year.”

Popular big Sam Waardenburg is one of five men locked in for the Taipans this upcoming season. Picture: Brendan Radke

Privatisation would hopefully ease that concern, provided the right people invest in the club, but that is also why there is a delay in the crucial on-court appointments.

Popular big Sam Waardenberg will return, as will Alex Higgins-Titsha, Kyrin Galloway, Kody Stattman and veteran Kyle Adnam, but the rest is yet to be locked as the club finalises the key positions.

“We’ve left enough flexibility for a new coach to put their own stamp on the team, and their playing style,” Stone said.

“It reinforces the player roster and coach conversations are happening hand in hand, and when the cards fall, they fall quickly.

“It’s frustrating for fans, and I get it, but that’s the nature of the beast and you have to stay two steps ahead … we’re looking at some very high-level players and coaches.”

Originally published as ‘Get it right’: Inside Taipans’ search for new coach, players, for NBL26