Shaping Up As A Great Home Opener

The "Birdman" is ready for a big performance against his former team.

Thanks to an article I wrote earlier on in the week, the people of Cairns have flared up like a pack of hemorrhoids.

I made reference to the chance of Cairns being a franchise that may miss out when professional basketball gets a face lift next season. A headline of "Croc provokes Taipans", was splashed across the pages of the Cairns Post yesterday.

Then to top it all off my old teammate Larry Abney chips with this comment via the Cairns Post, "JR (Rillie) has been around the league for a long time, so when he speaks, people listen but I think it’s more about JR being JR, trying to get something fired up."

Wow, what a response from the franchise from the far north. I feel like I've hit a nerve or are they just trying hard to rally their fans for this fierce rivalry we have going in the north?

Time will tell how all storylines pan out on this one but it is less than twenty four hours before we can settle the score of one of them.

I cannot wait for tip off tomorrow.

News

- Adelaide 36ers captain Brett Maher will play game number 500 tomorrow against the Sydney Spirit. Only the ninth player in NBL history to achieve this but Maher played all his for his home town team. Quite an accomplishment for the triple Olympian, especially in the professional sports climate we play in today.

- Sydney Spirit's Kiwi international centre Tony Rampton is willing to test his dodgy back tomorrow night against the 36ers in Canberra. Yes, Canberra, a home game for the Spirit.

- New Zealand Breaker Tony Ronaldson puts his and his team's performance against the Melbourne Tigers into perspective. Congrats to "The Bear" for passing 9500 points last night.

- If the Cairns Taipans fired up about my article (read above) they better not read this one coming out of Melbourne. Herald Sun's Grantley Bernard reports it may start out as a eight team competition.

- South Dragons coach Brian Goorjian rips his team a new one. Please read as I cannot do his words justice.

- Boti Nagy questions whether the 36ers can continue on their winning ways. (Article also contains some video footage with Brett Maher and his 500 game milestone.)

- James Harvey is still trying to get a win in the west.

- Wollongong rookie gets his chance.

- I know Rosell Ellis will be ready to go. Ellis has been associated with the Crocs franchise for two years but has never played a home game. Due to a freak weightlifting injury last year, Rosell never played in front of the "Swamp" faithful. Nothing will keep him from missing tomorrow's game.

- Former King's owner Tim Johnston has not been hiding?

- Looks like the Perth Wildcats will get their first win. They are up 21 in the fourth.

- Q & A with Glen Saville. Nice job Asa.

- Nick Horvath article.

- Fast Facts for Round 2. Thanks Mark Slocombe.