Just Better Care Wollongong Roller Hawks players Tristan Knowles and Shawn Russel gear up to take on Darwin at the NWBL finals in Shellharbour on 10 August. Photo: Just Better Care Roller Hawks.
The Just Better Care Roller Hawks will storm into a home finals series at Shellharbour City Stadium on Saturday 10 August.
The side secured a top-two finish when they travelled to Brisbane for the final leg of the National Wheelchair Basketball League on Saturday 3 August.
On the road without captain Brett Stibners and head coach Brendan Dowler, it was up to the starting five of Tristan Knowles, Shawn Russell, Luke Pople, Steve Elliott and Hannah Dodd to take on the brunt of the workload as Nick Taylor assumed the role of player/coach in Dowler’s absence.
They got it done, and now they have two bites at the grand final, with direct entry to the main game if they win Saturday’s semifinal and a second chance if they lose.
Luke said the team were keen to make the most of their home crowd advantage.
“It’s very exciting,” he said.
“We haven’t had a proper league in a good while (due to COVID) and we haven’t had a home final since 2012.
“Having family and friends there to cheer us on will be an advantage, and every time we have a home game we have a loud crowd, so it definitely works in our favour.”
Wollongong will meet first-placed Darwin on Saturday with the winner advancing directly to Sunday’s gold medal game.
The loser will get a second chance on Saturday night in the preliminary final.
Third-placed Perth takes on fourth-placed Manly with the winner progressing to the preliminary final and the loser going straight to the bronze medal game.
Both games will tip off at 11 am Saturday.
Luke said the Darwin Salties and the Roller Hawks were well matched sides, and the pressure would be high – hopefully to the home team’s advantage.
“They only beat us once in the regular season, when we didn’t have our full squad,” he said.
“Both of us have a number of players in the national side, both sides have some great shooters, deep benches and size.
“On the floor it’s going to be pretty even so it’s going to come down to who cracks first.
“Whether that happens in the first quarter or the last quarter I don’t know.”
The work isn’t over for Luke after the weekend – on Friday 16 August he’s off to Paris with the Australian Rollers for his first Paralympics.
Luke, who has played since childhood, was one of the last players cut for the Tokyo Olympics.
Now he will make his Paralympic debut at 33 years old.
“We have so many high-level players competing, the finals are definitely good preparation,” he said.
The Roller Hawks will also host the finals of the women’s league, with first-placed Perth to play second-placed Sydney Uni.
The winner will advance directly to Sunday’s gold medal game and the loser will get a second chance on Saturday night in the preliminary final.
Third-placed Sydney Blues take on fourth-placed Queensland, with the winner progressing to the preliminary final and the loser going straight to the bronze medal game.
Both women’s games will tip off at 9 am Saturday.
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