Does the Sunshine Coast Region have enough local talent to support two QBL teams?
The region has produced a lot of talent over the past several years. Zeke Meehl, Zane Meehl, Scott Kenny, Isiah Tueta, Josh Tueta, Jordan Page, Seth Turner, Jamaal Robateau, Nelson Kahler and Tom Fullarton to name a few. While there is talent there a number of issues. A lot of the talent is either out of Phoenix’s or Rip’s price range. Guys like the Tueta’s are likely to stick around the Brisbane Spartans in their chase to make the NBL. Then there is the group of talented junior currently playing in college like Jamaal Robateau who are ineligible to play QBL due to NCAA rules
Last year the Clippers has a number of decent locals, Josh Walters averaged 18.3 points in a more prominent role for the Clippers. Darren Best (a Victorian that play for the clippers) was a solid contributor while Nelson Kahler was the leading blocker in the league. With Warrick Meehl back at the helm at the amaglament Phoenix club, you would expect the Phoenix to improve instantly based on the Meehl ability to coach on their player’s strengths. Meehl has a high basketball IQ and has been able to get imports that can star in this league (Winston Robinson and Khalil McDonald come to mind). With Meehl around you know Phoenix will compete day in, day out.
Rip has been playing in the SBL in the past couple of years for that competition they have a veteran outfit, with guys like Toby Zaremba, the McGlynn brothers (Matt, Daniel and Ben), Sean Paterson and Sean Murphy all with QBL experience, Zaremba is a former QBL MVP in 2007. While they have experience, the issue is that those particular players haven’t played in the QBL since the 2013 season, in Zaremba’s case 2009. Some of these players could end up forming a decent bench for an inaugural QBL team, but the matter of the fact is that the team needs a lot more in terms of player personnel.
Was reading an article by the Sunshine Daily News where Sunshine Coast Rip vice president was stating that We (Sunshine Coast Rip) want to be competitive and we envisage getting there over a period of five to ten years. Can some explain to me what competitive means in this context? Not getting their backsides handed to them every game? competing for a playoff spot? Championship? P.S population isn’t a factor for having two team for the same city, remember Caboolture, or Kuiyam at Cairns, there are plenty of other factors that need to be in place. This is a relative young association that is only starting to see some fruition in their junior ranks.
People seem to forget that you have two teams in the QBL, a men’s and a women’s team. The men with two imports, a couple of overpriced unrestricted players and some of the above mention veterans they could scrap for a couple of victories and build on that. The women’s is a completely different story. Their women’s program in SBL has struggled and their cross town rivals have been amongst the worst women’s programs in QBL history (alongside Toowoomba). They would need to spend money just to field a team and irrespective of the coach they will get decimated in their first few years. Look at Suncoast, even the calibre of Natalie Hurst couldn’t save them from last year horrid performances (yes I know she didn’t play the full year). Dont expect the Phoenix to get any better in the womens program in the next several year.
Logan had good former juniors like Mitch Young, Heath Ameren, Thomas Ammar, Mikhaela Donnelly that wanted to return back to the Thunder. Rip don’t have that luxury for both teams. Players in the South East Queensland area would struggle to consider the Rip as a viable team to go play at, travelling distance, the expectation that Rip won’t be competitive for years, the lack of a winning culture, the inexperience of coaching and the management staff at the QBL level. Rip will eventually have to spend money and the problem with it is whether the club can financially handle it, whether sponsors are willing to spend money on a program that could take many years to get it right. Caboolture were put in a financial mess due to their QBL programs and one hope that the Rip can learn from those lessons.
Even though Northside pulled out of the QBL, in my opinion Sunshine Coast Rip don’t seem like they are ready for the QBL, certainly in the women’s. My hope is that Sunshine Coast Rip looks at the history of the league, and avoids the mistakes of previous clubs have done beforehand. Things will get a lot worse before that club sees the ray of hope.
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