I may be wrong but I suspect if they are hosting they have automatic entry. Perhaps they believe their current team is no where near able to compete so they are using this is a recruiting tool. My opinion is it's still very unethical to use a wildcard entry to recruit players from teams and clubs that have worked hard to develop them. Parents moving for this reason need to be very wary of the kind of program they are getting into for 1 week of basketball.

Lets just say that this doesnt suprise people in Qld

Their boys will do the same thing, for a tournament in Albury. They just haven't done it yet because the qualification process isn't complete, so if they hold trials now, there'll be some kids who don't attend because they still have a chance to make it with their own club.

BQ shouldn't allow it, neither should BA. The language of that notification is atrocious. 'Transfer here so you can go to Nationals!' I'd have my kid play another sport before I'd have them play for an organisation like that.

"I can't believe BA let them do this. Nationals is a competition between teams that have qualified to be there, not teams recruited for the championship. If what Spartans do is not cheating, it is clearly against the spirit of the competition. They got away with it last year, outrageous they are doing it again!"

Response:

I think you will find this is a normal practice for most clubs that attend the nationals. The northern teams in Queensland have done it for a long time. In Victoria where do you think the Melbourne Tigers pick up players to be such a successful program while they actually have no feeder program.
Guys if you do not like the process that is fine, just do not try out but why try and stop others doing what they want to do.
From Queensland only thirty players will get to attend a National Championship in 2014. For many the only time they will be in the position to be representing Queensland. Let the kids do what they want without the venom being shown towards the Spartans. Yes you may not like what they do but they are successful with membership growing. Each to their own. Maybe they are doing something right and our sport needs to address what others could and or should.
As one door closes another opens. The smart people recognise opportunities and take it. Others elect not to and that is fine. Again each to their own.

Interesting discussion on queensland forum:
http://forum.brisbanebasketball.com/showthread.php?t=742&page=4

The teams in Qld should be allowed to because their seasons are at a completely different time than those from other states!

It is a disgrace. It should be in the rules that the team must be made up of players that are registered with the association/club at the time they qualified.

SD have been known to do it for years, and despite their defence of the decision ("others do it"), a huge majority do not. Not to mention the message it sends to the poor boys/girls who were in the team that qualified who now will miss out.
For example, Melbourne Tigers (being used in the SD propoganda above) were known to do it a decade or so ago, but haven't since (and the rules have been changed in Vic to ensure it can't). No-one in SA has done it that I know of (certainly not in a long time).

Queensland should be allowed to because their season is at a completely different time than everyone else's? You do realise WA teams qualify a full year in advance, and it's never been standard practice there?

Justification on the grounds that everybody else does it is a) not true and b) morally dubious anyway.

How good is this for the Queensland South competition? How much have their teams underachieved at 16s and 18s level over the last few years? Basketball Qld should be stepping in because it's causing them harm in the long run.

We have attended nationals last two years and hopefully on track to make it third time. We have never employed this nor will we. We play with the boys that got us their. We have made top 10 both years including wins against power clubs such as Melbourne and Illawarra who finished second and third respectively. So your team can be competitive with the talent you have. I'm proud of the boys and what they've done . Shouldn't be about loading up or stacking a team.