Shit attitude?

Wonder who they are bringing in?

Yikes!

Hope he didn't elbow anyone on the way out...

Has it got anything to do with form or financial reasons anyone?

Conklin to the Hawks?

Wow didn't see that one coming

Something must have been happened behind the scenes.

That said, he has largely been a waste of space all season and nowhere near as productive as last year.

His on-court attitude has seemed a bit average to me. Looked to play a bit rougher and more desperately to compensate for the shooting percentages with which he opened the season.

Not a bad idea to throw Kay in the deep end and work out if Young is good enough.

Do you think any other teams will pick him up?

I wonder what did happen behind the scenes.

Conklin's post on social media:

"Thank you to all the Crocs fans and my teammates and coaches for this wonderful season and for a great 3 seasons unfortunately the club has terminated my contract and I will no longer be able to captain this club," it read.

“All the best to the boys and coaches going forward.”

...the club stated they would be unavailable for comment until later this afternoon it is understood they weren't satisfied with his performances to date this season.

Well that's just stupid. Do they think fans will want to go to games now after you sack a fan fav and MVP. Shocking decision by a poorly managed club.

He seemed out of sorts this season.Good to see he handled his termination with class.Didnt say a bad work about the club.

This is dumb. I would have never re signed him, unless it was for around 100k max. Classic overpay, and i knew it was going to happen after the MVP. Cutting him now makes less sense, especially when the club is flat broke.

He was set up to fail by being made the number 1 option on a team without much shooting to space the floor. An undersized PF who cant shoot the three, defend or rebound isnt worth that much in 2015.

Do they have to pay out the remainder of his contract? Could be a money saving move, as the crocs looks to reduce their loses before bowing out?

Robert Rose or Sam McKinnon still available?

Agree that Conklin hasn't looked great this year. He's usually so deadly from the elbow, but this year his J hasn't dropped like it normally does, and so many of his shots are tough shots driving into traffic.

Still, given they won't exactly be splashing on an Al Harrington-type replacement, I'd imagine there'd be much more to it than just his on-court stuff.

Club announcement:

The Townsville Crocodiles today announce they have released import Brian Conklin from his 2015/16 NBL contract.

The 26-year old has averaged just over 13 points and six rebounds per game, and due to a number of sub-par performances the club have made the difficult decision to explore other options.

Townsville Crocodiles General Manager Rob Honan commends Conklin for his professionalism and commitment to the club.

"Brian Conklin has been a tremendous player and we cannot praise him enough for what he has done for his team on and off the court in the past three seasons," said Mr Honan.

“Unfortunately, we are almost sitting last on the NBL ladder and the reality of not making the Finals again is one we do not want to face.

“There are no outside factors or reasons behind this decision - we simply want to give this club the best chance of being successful in the competition.”

@AngusH
hahaha - 'deadly from the elbow'...nice.

Anon567551, you mean like the one they let walk to United?

What is the point though? You could bring in a legit NBA level talent and youd still struggle to make the playoffs. The NBL season is not long enough to necessitate making a change like this. The whole roster is unbalanced it's not just one guy. And if you're gonna sack him whh not sack Jett? He has been just as bad.

Yeah may as well sack them both if they're serious about winning some games.
Replacing Conklin isn't going to be the difference between 4-10 and playoffs.

Wonder if they could get Al Harrington?

Maybe Al is just itching to keep on playing and would be happy to play for cheap.

"By being so direct saying his performances are subpar screams there were off court issues."

I would have thought the opposite.

Apparently he is going to Adelaide 36's and is replacing Ebi Ere.

Cause he's white.

This story would be sad if it weren't so humerus.

Well its pretty obvious that the Crocs are broke so it doesn't look like they will sign anyone that impressive.

Is this the TSV Crocs farewell season 3.0?

Mike dunigan? Playing d league, waved by Cavs in September and played under Dennis at perth. Would be a great fit for the crocs, to match up with other bigs.

I was at Nando's waiting for my food to arrive when I saw the Conklin news on twitter, and my first thought was that it was a sure sign that Dunigan must be on his way.

Dunigan used to tweet about Nando's a lot during his stint in Perth, for anyone else wondering WTF my post was on about.

Bring back Diamon Simpson to the NBL

With schensher still injured and no longer a starting centre and Kay proven to be starter quality 4, dunigan or ebekwe type make the most sense to me. No way they sack a 4 and replace him with a small forward like ennis, with only Kay and young as the fit bigs.

According to @SydneyKingsFanWeekly and @MelbourneUnitedFanWeekly on twitter, he's black, has a name that starts with any letter from A-Z, has two eyes, a nose and some feet.

I think it's pretty clear who the replacement is.

Ben Gordon

Conklin is a much better player than Dunigan. I doubt Townsville would make that swap.

Conklin was easily the best PF in the league last year (in terms of somebody who played all year) so he was an ok choice for MVP.
One could assume that he asked for more money as a result.
This season he has been mediocre, he has seemed frustrated as a result, and his weird arm-waiving has resulted in injuries and a suspension.
Not what you want from your star import.
He was probably the highest paid guy on the team, and he just wasn't performing to the standard you need from a star import.

It's possible they have lined up a replacement.
It's also possible they have decided to save some cash, give more minutes to some of their local players, and go hunting for another star next season. Will wait and see.

Glad that this may mean my man Steindl may get more shots up and intrigued about Conklin's future.

Does anyone think that a club will sign him again with the intentions of him becoming naturalised?

Two home games for TSV this week. Great timing.

I'm surprised no-one has yet commented about him being their captain.

When was the last time an NBL club released a Captain mid-season?

From ROHAN O'NEIL SPORTS REPORTER TOWNSVILLE BULLETIN DECEMBER 01, 2015

AXED Townsville Crocodiles captain has expressed his bitter disappointment with his treatment by the club after being unceremoniously sacked halfway through the 2015/16 season.

The American import had built a reputation as a fearless competitor and fan favourite since the Townsville franchise handed him first start as a professional player in the 13/14 season but that relationship came to an abrupt end in a meeting yesterday afternoon.

Just hours after leading an honesty session with his teammates the 26-year-old import was told via text message to skip a planned school clinic and instead head to the club’s base in Currajong for a meeting.

The sensational result of his sit-down with general manager Rob Honan and coach Shawn Dennis caught the no-nonsense Anerican completely off-guard and left him gutted by the team that only months ago announced him as their captain.

"The immediate reaction for me was disappointment, you sign with a club who has struggled over the last couple of years because they’d shown trust in and I wanted to show trust in them," he said.


“They named me captain, wanted me to lead this team and talked to me about changing the culture of the club — and that’s something that I have poured my heart and soul into — then something like this happens halfway through the season.”

Conklin and his wife Kristina also opted to have their first child here and their baby boy Benson was born in the city weeks ago, with the team’s shock decision leaving the new father rattled.

“I had a decision to have my child in America or in Australia and I said you know what this community has been great to me, this club has shown me support,” he said.

“I had my baby here, I was trying to get citizenship, I wanted to make it a lifetime thing and then they go and sack you 14 games into my third season when they were talking about a three-year deal at the start of the season.”

The club cited sup-par performances as the reason for terminating the contract of last season’s league MVP but Conklin wasn’t buying their excuses and insisted he would stay in the city until the club pay him what he’s owed.

“I went out there every night, tried to rally the guys and I’ve put my blood, sweat and tears into this club,” he said.

“I’m better than I’ve been in the last two years in every other statistical category, I just haven’t been putting the ball in the hole.

“My next move is to make sure my contract is honoured, I’m not a first year import so they are required to pay my full contract and that’s my biggest goal right now.”

Conklin said he had heard from all his current teammates and a number of past players and while he was left disenchanted with club management he wished his team nothing but the best moving forward.

“It’s not anger because I have given so much to this club I’m just disappointed at the fact that I was told I’m supposed to lead this group of young guys and then I’m told I’m not part of the club anymore,” he said.

Whilst the main number behind Brian Conklin getting cut may very well be his salary, with the full contract set to soon kick in for the remainder of the season, Conklin's on court production has definitely been well down on his MVP season.

The numbers and logic behind Brian Conklin’s Townsville exit

True, the league has improved in quality bigs, to a point, this would make it a little tougher for Conklin to stay near the top in his position.

The way the ball was delivered to him and the way the Crocs have gone about it this season has changed slightly also, notwithstanding the issues he has had in reckless and dangerous play, his confidence in his shot and the amount of ball he was getting in good position has not helped.

This is poor form on the Crocs behalf but we don't know if there are outside influences at play given this team may be converting to the Bullet as such next season. There has to be something more and a big name coming in I would say. And as far as Conklins form there is also more to it. changes in the playing group and adjustments form the coach can chagne a players game. It is up to the coach to adjust the team and without knowing what goes on in the locker room or training we can't make a comment on if this is a Conklin or Coaching issue apart from the finishing off. All players including the illustrious Gouldign at the moment go through this but thats not a reason to sack quality players. Watch this space, this story will get bigger.

Injury replacement for Hodgon, try before you buy or if he gets paid out from Crocs just move to Brissy and wait for Bullets contract to arrive.

Its all Brians fault they are losing apparently.

http://www.crocodiles.com.au/blog/featured-news/townsville-crocodiles-media-release-brian-conklin/

Better start winning now or egg on their faces. Look at the assist rate of others in the team and that may highlight some issues and why Conklin can't post numbers as well, along with who they released for the last 2 seasons and the team balance right now.

lol @ 6ers fans rating Petrie. Conklin is 10 times the player of Petrie.

6ers should go after Conklin. Would be a much needed injection of class.

Half Time Update
Illawarra Hawks 61 - Townsville Crocodiles 30
The young Crocs are in shell shock after Hawks' Kirk Penney goes berzerk with a 20 point half.
King Conklin leading Crocs stats with 13pts.


Yep, he is so bad he really needed to go !!!!

"Better start winning now or egg on their faces. Look at the assist rate of others in the team and that may highlight some issues and why Conklin can't post numbers as well, along with who they released for the last 2 seasons and the team balance right now."

I think you should just look at Brian's performances. He turned up short of peak shape and touch and simply missed a bunch of shots he made last year, while not being able to defend to the level he did last year when in better condition.

Full credit to him for the way he transformed his game last year, it was a superb effort, just a shame he couldn't stay at that level. Also credit to him for the way he has handled his sacking.

I must say though, unless LK is tipping in, which is certainly possible, it is an odd decision for a budget club.

Purely financial decision.

Scott Christopherson your redemption time has come! ;-)

How much would they save though? It's not like his contract becomes void. I guess it depends on what's written in there re termination.

I doubt it. He had signed a contract for the full season, so it's unlikely they won't have to pay him any of the remainder.

But there is a cutoff point for having the contract fully guaranteed. Maybe they got in before that kicked in.

I'm still under the impression that its a date, rather than a number of games played.

I don't think that rule would be relevant for a re-signed import like Conklin. He had far more bargaining power than that as club and league MVP.

"But there is a cutoff point for having the contract fully guaranteed. Maybe they got in before that kicked in."

My understanding of this rule is that is for imports in their first season with the club and not for imports returning on a new contract with the same club. Based on that Conklin should still be paid out in full.

"If they have to pay him out then that is basically proof that their reasoning of it being due to his lack of on-court performance is actually a steaming pile of shit. "

How do you figure that? They could have determined that his performances were bad enough to move on without him. Pay out or not, they are moving in a different direction.

In any case, what difference does it make what they said as a reason? Should the club reveal some sort of scandal?

Not saying they made the right call or handled it well, but jumping to a conclusion that there must be something else going on isn't right either.

His performances were poor, so without evidence of something else I'm inclined to believe that was the reason.

They probably have to pay him in full unless he's picked up elsewhere. "Elsewhere" may include overseas, depending on the contract terms. It would almost certainly include another NBL club, should one pick him up.

FWIW, this time last season (14 games in), Townsville were 5W-9L. This year they're 4W-10L. They're scoring ~8 points less per game and giving up ~2 points less per game.

If the Crocs have cut Conklin and they owe him for the full season bad move. Understandable if not and they can get better for his $$$

Hmm paul you're probably right.

Must mean that something substantial has gone down.

To the extent that you're essentially giving away something you've already paid for.

I understand from a performance/development perspective it MAY make sense as it gives Kay and Young the chance to develop and get good game time.

But surely not good for fans - they need every bit of support they can get and this hasn't gone down well apparently.

If the club is struggling financially and just doesn't think they’re getting bang for their buck this season from Conklin, then you’d think they’d only sack him if they *didn’t* have to pay out his contract?

I guess, on the other hand, Nick Kay has been fairly solid and they did beat Melbourne without Conklin....

I do find it bizarre though, because I doubt they can afford to replace him.

So you'd think they have avoided paying him out....

why even cut him? Makes no sense to me. Can still focus on younger players but keep him for when needed even if that is coming off the bench.

I don't like the chances of any other clubs picking him up this season. Hawks are the only ones with an import slot open but that could mean dropping a club favorite in Davidson or Foreman so I cant see that happening.

Might be worth Perth getting him on board on an off court role, getting him naturalized and replacing Redhage with him next season.

Conklin : "My agent has got a hold of the club, they've breached my contract and we will be seeking the full payment that they pledged."

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/sport/a/30236157/nbl-mvp-conklin-cut-by-crocodiles/

Club will probably close at the end of the season anyway so by the time they sort out what he needs to be paid there will be nothing to pay it with...

Crocs could potentially go gamble try sign a big name player for 100 odd k and hope it increases crowd attendance could be a stunt to get bums on seats they will fold other wise so why not waste some money and have a crack at saving the franchise if they continue on with current situation they have no chance

Long shot I know but Maybe a Andrew Bynum , Carlos boozer , Larry sanders , Ben Gordon , Danny granger ... ????

im an avid NBL fan former avid crocs fan but I lost my love of the crocs not because they are now hopeless but because the game nights become very boring basketball is a very stop start game with tim outs etc so there needs to be a draw card and the crocs just don't have that anymore like they did in the mid 2000's

There was certainly nothing stop/start about that post.

Actually that does make total sense if you consider the history of townsville's personnel decisions...

The problem here is that the rationale does not align with reality.

RATIONALE: In the media release, the CEO said missing the playoffs again would be unacceptable and they need to upgrade.

REALITY: the season is halfway done. Sign James Ennis and you still miss the playoffs. Sign anyone short of an all star level NBA talent and you miss the playoffs. They need help at every single position: no one on this team would even start on a title team. Shit, no one on this team would even be 6th man on a title team. Unless they're signing Lebron James, what exactly is this supposed to achieve?

The have been playing on heart and passion all season and it will only last so long. Conklin had the heart and passion for the club and taking that away will only make them worse.

Their 3 bigs (not including Froling) are Schenscher (injured) Kay and Young. Schenscer is shit and has been for a long tall. Basically a tree since he can barely move well across the floor any more. Kay is one of their shining lights and Young... well he's just plain average and gives you nothing on offense and misses open layups all the time.

Train, does Conklin have any quali's in dentistry, Maxillofacial surgery, orthopedic surgery or martial arts? Much needed in Perth.

Thanks
Trev

Crocs were better with Conklin off the court that on it this season. On performance there should be no controversy about him being sacked, but the other factors surrouding it seem strange, at least until we see what the next move is.

@Anonymouse - You forgot creative accounting and book cooking :P

I think its likely that its a financial decision so you'd assume that the board has done their homework on their contract before making the decision.

Conklin said players weren't getting paid last season. If they have to pay out Conklin then they are stuffed. Hopefully they have to since I feel for his family.

Still don't get it. Here is part of the game review from NBL website


'With a 20-point deficit, Townsville were on their knees by quarter time, but Illawarra showed no mercy. Jarrad Weeks stamped his claim on the Dunk of the Year award, throwing down a LeBron James-like double-pump reverse slam in the third quarter, and from then on it was part time for the locals. Brian Conklin had 20 points in his return game, while fellow Crocs big man Nick Kay (14 points on 6-6 FGs) showed why he is in-line for Rookie of the Year honours.'


So again, tell me how terrible he is and how he is a new father so settling in to that and trying to adjust his game to reduce the risks with his elbow.. but can still put up 20 points and 6 assists. Bearing in mind Damien and Mitch have no hard feelings toward Brian and say its part of the game but he does need to be more controlled with his elbows.

Smells a little bit to me.

I feel like things are going to get messy with payment of Conklin's contract

Hope i'm wrong though.

I see the game different to you and hold coaches responsible too for how the team is running and players are used. Would love to see him picked up by another club and see how it pans out. Only then will the truth be seen and how the Crocs fair without him as well. We'll wait and see shall we ?

What has him becoming a father got to do with anything??

He wasn't using it to bring compassion in to the discussion. He was talking about it in terms of how it did or didn't impact his performances.

At least we now have confirmation in terminations dates/periods. Its two months after the first game of the season, not a number of games played.

Conklin had a decent offer from United at the start of the year - turned it down to stay loyal to the crocs and this is what he cops.

All the Crocs need do is to not pay, Conk can chase and chase all he likes, at the ends of the season the Crocs will go into VA again whereby this time they will be wound down.

Conk can be an unsecured creditor for 2c in the dollar.

The Crocs better not pull a stunt like that. Last thing the league needs right now is a reputation of imports being sacked and not paid. Wouldn't be a good look at all and we don't want any reason for players to be put off playing in the league.

Interesting read:

The MVP vs Clause 10.4

Clause 10.4 of the NBL's Standard Player Contract deals with the Termination of Restricted Players and states that "a restricted player may be employed on probation" and that “the probation period shall end two months after the first regular season game.”

If a restricted player is terminated during that probationary period he is to be paid one month’s salary in lieu of notice but the club is not liable for the remainder of that year’s salary.

Conklin, however, doesn’t see it that way.

Speaking to Rohan O’Neill of the Townsville Bulletin on Monday, he made it clear that he expects his contract to be paid out in full.

“My next move is to make sure my contract is honoured,” Conklin said.

“I’m not a first year import so they are required to pay my full contract and that’s my biggest goal right now.”

For a ratings bonanza and to promote the league in the media, a team needs to sign Conklin for a short term contract so he gets to play against the Crocs.

Would rate it's tits off :)

I noticed Jacob Holmes referring to trying to remove the 2 month probation clause from the rules for the past three years. Not sure why a club taking a punt on an import (generally speaking not just Conklin) should have to pay out a years salary for less than two months work if that player is underperforming.

The ability for Employers in other workplaces to let go employees within a probation period, for lack of performance without unfair dismissal etc is pretty commonplace.

Sounds like it might come down to interpretation of the rules and whether it specifically excludes imports who have played for more than one year.

Jacob Holmes just loves to get in his two cents.

If the Crocs can successfully argue their way out of paying Conklin's full contract, how is this in any way bad for them as an organization or the league?

Fan-favourite or not, if imports aren't performing, it isn't in the best interest of the club or league to stand pat. Not when there are other, potentially better and/or cost-effective options available.

Conklin's termination also generated news within the NBL fanbase, and this generates interest. The NBA thrives on it's continuous news cycle.

I was just quoting what I thought was the most important paragraph from the article I linked. And that is exactly why - he "may" be subject to this clause, doesn't say he "must" be. Depends on what was in the actual contract he signed. He obviously believes it doesn't apply to him, for whatever reason.

#568185 - No. Would require a FIBA release, and the club in those circumstances would not provide it.

If the Crocs can successfully argue their way out of paying Conklin's full contract, how is this in any way bad for them as an organization or the league?

I think it's the way they've handled them that has hurt to a degree. In this instance they would have been better off subtly making it known through the press that Conklin was on notice a couple of weeks back to prepare fans. People don't like being shocked.

Let's face it NOTHING will get bums on seats in Tvl full stop. They used the tin shed last year as the excuse.Now they are back in the bigger stadium and still no interest. Midweek home games at 6.30 have been the killer blow.

I'm sure they could leave after two months if it were written into their contract.

I'm confused about some people's interpretations?
Is Conklin a "restricted" player?
He seems to think not and that he is entitled to have his contract paid out?
I would not have thought he would be employed on probation in his 3rd(?) year?

I'm usually the last to don the alfoil hat, but I suspect something has happened behind the scenes.

Don't get me wrong, I can fully understand a club not renewing his lucrative contract for next season, or insisting he take less money.
But to dump your start import and captain before the halfway mark? Piss of the fans, and then scramble to find a replacement?
Possibly costing MORE money (if they need to pay out Conklin.)

Dennis has made it clear that he was not involved in the decision.

It has been rumoured/ assumed that LK tipped in money to get the struggling clubs back on their feet. That money would have strings attached, and I wonder if one of them just got yanked?
Have Conklin and the Crocs paid the price for embarrassing the NBL?
He whacked Martin, and whilst Perth fans steamed, there were many that excused him and even thought it was good for ratings. The NBL rushed to judgement and acquitted him, only to have him repeat the performance, requiring a suspension.
Conklin possibly did himself no favours with his public lack of contrition.

Is Conklin a "restricted" player?
He seems to think not

so any news on a new import?

Yes.