Jackies look to regroup after ‘old fashioned butt whoopin’’

Jackies skipper Clint Steindl didn’t mince his words after his team was outplayed - and more worryingly, out-enthused - by a ruthless Illawarra on Saturday. But it was a curious take from coach Scott Roth which pricked the media’s ears.

JackJumper Majok Deng during Saturday’s thrashing by Illawarra. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

JackJumpers skipper Clint Steindl insists complacency after last season’s championship glory isn’t a factor after his lacklustre side was “hit in the mouth” in Saturday’s horrific 109-76 road thrashing at Illawarra.

Tasmania looked lethargic from the outset and were significantly outmatched in basic effort by the high-flying Hawks, who taught them a basketball lesson.

Jackies coach Scott Roth branded it “an old fashioned butt whoopin”, but also strangely described the hosts’ ruthless display as “actually very fun to watch” as they moved to 4-1.

In contrast the JackJumpers are now 2-3 before a tough clash this Friday night against Sydney in Launceston.

For the third straight week the Jackies were smashed early and trailed 32-17 at quarter time.

Illawarra outrebounded them 50-33, including 21-10 on the offensive glass, and also lost the steal count 11-7, blocks 8-1 and committed 18 turnovers to ten.

The Hawks also shot 51 per cent from the field and took 86 shots to the Jackies’ 61.

Steindl also didn’t miss summarising the terrible performance to media, but insisted complacency isn’t the issue.

“Not at all, not all. Over the past four years there’s been a lot of resilience and this one is going to test us. It’s going to hurt us until we play again, as it should,” he said.

“It (match video) is going to be a tough watch and we’re going to watch it together. We’re going to see the numbers - I don’t want to look at them right now because I know they’re not good.

Will Magnay of the JackJumpers and Trey Kell III of the Hawks compete for the ball. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

“We just have to take it on the chin. I know guys will respond from it but it’s not on any one individual, we have to do it as a group. We just got hit in the mouth, and we have to respond as a group.”

Star import Milton Doyle took just seven shots and finished with four points, while fellow starters Anthony Drmic (three points) and Reuben Te Rangi (scoreless) were also non factors offensively.

The Jackies have made a habit of starting games slowly. They were down 53-37 at halftime of last round’s 90-78 loss in Cairns, but managed to recover from a 23-9 quarter time deficit to beat Perth.

“In previous games we gave up those starts and found a way back in. They’re too good a team, they’re relentless on the boards and they didn’t allow us to get back in the game,” Steindl said.

“Three slow starts, it’s something we have to fix.”

Roth said they didn’t come close to matching the Hawks’ intensity.

“Congratulations to them, they kicked our rear end. It was an old fashioned butt whoopin’ at the end of the day,” he said.

“There’s not much to discuss in terms of the effort and energy they played with. We didn’t come close to matching that even before we start talking basketball aspects, or technical things. “They were all over us and it continued for four quarters. It was actually very fun to watch, to be quite honest with you, I thought they were just fantastic.”

William Hickey of the Hawks drives to the basket under pressure from Jordon Crawford of the JackJumpers. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)

Asked to clarify that comment, Roth said: “I enjoy a lot of teams and watching them play whether they’re winning or losing. I enjoy watching the games just as much as coaching at times, and they’re fun to watch.

“It’s just game five, we’re a work in progress and we have to continue to work and not drop our heads.

“We’ll get back to Tassie and get back to some of the things we do well, and improve on some things we don’t.

“I just told the guys we have to move on. Ultimately we played poorly, they were after us and we couldn’t get into anything rhythm-wise on either end of the floor.”