Hoops

Illawarra - Is it time for the League to step in?

Isaac and Cram

You seem to be talking about 2 different (but potentially related) goals.

1. Improving Hawk’s precarious state of viability ($, crowds, sponsorship, public interest etc); and

2. Improving Hawk’s on court performances.

The NBL have certainly given them assistance in building 1., but at the expense of 2.

Hawks should have opportunities to improve 1. as there is no real competition from other regional sporting teams. But they haven’t capitalised on the promotional opportunities of having a Ball.

Hawks roster is poorly constructed, with a lack of matching pieces (and possibly having incompatible pieces) as well as having a very poor age and experience profile (very young and ageing players with not much in between). This was never going to work. That said, I still reckon Illawarra will go on a streak and sweep the gf series.

"And I don't blame him. Hawks have been put in a position to capitalise, and if they can't, how much patience can the league have?"

Have they though?

They've got a guy who hasn't helped them win many games (yes he was fantastic on the weekend) and will be done by the time he's consistently good. They're playing games at times that don't suit the local crowd.

How does this help the Hawks build loyalty among their local fans? It doesn't.

To me they've been set up to fail with the above type "we've done all this for you and you've still failed" rhetoric ready to go to drive in the final nail.

This was never going to be a good long term move for the Hawks.

When all is said and done this whole thing will be far better for the league than the Hawks. And that's what LK cares about.

When all is said and done this whole thing will be far better for the league than the Hawks. And that's what LK cares about.

If they're playing Monday night games so they can get on US TV on Sundays, they've made a serious miscalculation.

@826 promotion in local media was OK, but nothing out of the ordinary. Perhaps Cairns being the only team Hawks have beaten was a factor. Word is Monday games are for exposure in the US (Sunday TV there). Mood in the WEC was electric last night.

The irony is that other teams are benefitting from the Hawks (ie Lamelo). Only one or two opportrunities to catch him is seeing great crowds at the home court when the Hawks visit.

Tough crowd here. Flinny is warming to the job. He's learning just like Lamelo. Slowly starting to put it together. Brooks going down was probably the best thing for Lamelo - he's got the keys now, even Coenraad said as much after the game.

Not sure how much the hawks get from merchandise - what percentage do they keep and what goes to the league?

Get your own name #812 you knobhead...

Is school finished?

Great turnout tonight. Well surpassed my expectations. Can anyone close to Wollongong shed some light into why there was a much bigger crowd than usual? Being a monday night against low Cairns I would have expected no more than 2500 regardless of the Lamelo Ball effect.

Did this game get promoted heavily more so than usual?

It was great to see. Hopefully this builds some momentum for the Hawks on and off the court. Im a big critic of this club, but it was great to see a healthy crowd on a Monday night there.

Flinn is like rest team, learning as they go along. They are doing ok imo.

Ball also developed a lot size to his frame since he arrived, it shows he’s working hard on and off the court. Coenraad said he has improved so much in his after game interview.

All those millions tuning in to watch Lamelo, are getting an abomination of a team, badly coached, and something needs to change.

Ogilvy and Blanchfield were very good at both ends tonight.

Great thread knobhead
Great win by the foundation club full of pride and passion
Go Hawks

I heard that Illawarra went to Kessleman to pay out the contract of Aaron Brooks so they could get a replacement, and he declined. They have now applied for $$$ under the hardship clause to get said replacement, but it will be at a significant less cost than they would have used if LK came to the party re: Brooks.

NZ are a right mess ATM too!

Cairns? Cairns are better than Adelaide and Brisbane.

It’s been 3 and a half weeks since their tweeted video of the meeting between Flinn, Campbell, Demos and others where they had a bunch of import names on a whiteboard. Does make you wonder what’s going on.

If Ball was to bail, their season would very quickly go from mediocre to catastrophic in terms of on court results.

Crowds- give them a bit of time. Why do they have so many games on a Monday night!? Wait till they’ve played home games against Sydney, and more home games on Friday or Saturday to give a better indication of the support in the Gong.

Whoever suggested moving them to South West Sydney may need to get a stadium built there first.

677

Thanks for the offer to coach the Hawks for less. Please post your coaching cv here for all to critique.

#667
You don’t know the league is not helping Illawarra above and beyond what you have stated. I’m told they have done more. Am I 100% correct, I don’t know but neither do you.
The nbl is a private business now, we follow it as it is because it’s a 100% better than what was there but you don’t get all ins and outs. If the current owner goes Illawarra should flourish.

How do you no the league is not already helping Illawarra, my sources say they are. I’m hearing a new owner is on the horizon but wants majority share holding. Illawarra will be fine imo if new owner gets in and takes control.

Move the Licence to Hobart!!