http://www.taipans.com/news/article/35263-jawai-ruled-12-weeks

Much bugger.

Damn thats tough, done the work to get into shape now this.

Hopefully his recovery will be smooth, Egwu now has to step up big time.

What happened to him losing weight in the offseason? Surely by now he realises his weight is a direct connection to his body constantly failing him

He did lose weight... significant.

If Nate comes back overweight he would be letting dowm so many people

Ah. Well then good but he still looks huge. Doesn't seem to have that explosiveness back yet either

Well Rehab is lonely and tough as hell. I hope he manages to come back and finish the season, but the guy just can't win a trick throughout his career.

Ricey, he's always been huge and I don’t think you’ve watched any of the 14 minutes he played before the injury.

He may hit the 200 kegs mark now

What chance he will be mentally ready for the playoffs?

I feel really sorry for him but for me this really draws a line under the fact that the Jawai experiment has been a bust. Such a shame because he looked deadly for the 10 minutes he was on the court on Friday, but can't see how we're ever going to get more than half a season out of him at a time.

At this rate I dread to think what kind of Jawai money will wind up making per game with us. 10k per appearance? 1k per point?

Any decent Aussie bigs available?

Do the maths again CT: that's minimum $10kpp.

Kings have a decent DNPCD just sitting there.....

It's a cruel blow to both Nate, and the franchise.

@Ricey, you're embarrassing yourself; as @KingPodge said, you didn't watch that first game. Nate lost a lot of weight coming into this season. He looks much trimmer and was moving really well.

There will be a huge responsibility on Egwu, Loughton and Weigh to carry the load of the power positions, now. I hope Evans, and then Carrera, can help to shoulder some of that burden.

I would also suggest this will put Tevin Jackson in a position to really show his wares, because he's the obvious guy to step up to the roster among the DPs.

Along with weight loss and conditioning, he may need to consider moderating his feats of athleticism.

So I think I read on here that Cairns local big man Jeromie Hill is taking time off from basketball... now with Jawai going down, I wonder if he is regretting that decision as he could really save his career.

Sucks for the big guy

Kings have a decent DNPCD just sitting there.....

Is this Garlepp we're speaking of?

What's the story?

He's always been huge, and that's always been his problem. He's never been able to maintain a lower weight - always up and down - which indicates he hasn't had long-term discipline when it comes to nutrition.
That doesn't mean he hasn't worked hard to get where he is because it's obvious he has - but I think it would be disingenuous to think he's the most disciplined pro around.

That's a real loss for the Taipans- and the entire league.

He was playing so well in that first half and looked in good shape, I thought he looked ready for his best season since his NBL return. Disappointed for big Nate.

Snooch, you're right to an extent. However, his serious weight gains have always come after long rehabs and it takes serious discipline to ride those out and maintain conditioning. Sometimes that isn't possible though, like that head/spinal injury he got in Turkey. He couldn't train/play at all for something like 12 months. He had plenty of pudding in the tank when he got to the Wildcats because of that. It's hard to maintain discipline when you can't do any physical work, and you're at the bottom of that pit wondering if you'll ever play again.

Outside of that, from what I understand, he hasn't really had major issues when healthy maintaining his playing weight - even when the Raptors sat him for 6 months because their medical team left their Malleus Maleficarums at home..


It should also be noted as well that none of Jawai's injuries have been related to his weight. Even this one. It's a freak thing. Had it been related to his weight, word is that it would have happened when he was sitting closer to 200kgs and/or in the preseason when his workload was much higher.

And nothing has anything to do with any heart issue... (wtf Anon?)

While a lot of what you say is true, Podge, you're kind of an enabler with all the excuses.

While plantar fasciitis (which is what Fearne thought to be the injury) does have to do with weight, it has to do with a lot of other things too

But those above who are saying Nate is in bad shape are kidding themselves. Looks to have lost 15+ kilos over the off-season

That's a conservative 15 kegs.

Also, think about Nate at 180kg or whatever he may have been. He knew he was big so wouldn't push his body as far. Now he's slimmer, he was pulling off moves I haven't seen from him in years. Maybe when you have a ratio of weight:exertion, he overdid it with that dribble drive. But Yeah, plantar fasciitis has to do with posture/walking,running, jumping, panding techniques. Maybe that was a bit off too

Whilst Fearne and the Taipans initially thought the injury may be plantar fasciitis, it is actually a partial tear of a ligament in his foot.

Manu, not sure how i'm enabling or excusing anything.... I'm not his dietician... if i was he'd probably be 250kgs. I mean if he's out of condition he's out of condition, i'm just saying it's not simply JUST a result of any lack of work ethic. I saw some of the work he was putting in over this offseason, the guy was focused and committed.

Anyways, it's not plantar fasciitis. That would have been the best case because, depending on the severity, you can play thru it (like Dusty did/has/does).

Anon; *sigh* how is his weight-related to the head and spinal injury he got in Turkey? Or the 'enlarged heart' issue he had at the Raptors (he wasn't allowed to go over 100bbm)? Or the shoulder injury he required surgery for last season? The contact right foot injury he got in Minnesota?

And there have been stories about Jawai's weight loss and conditions this season:

https://wwos.nine.com.au/2017/09/21/03/34/slimmer-jawai-ready-to-dominate-nbl

https://au.sports.yahoo.com/basketball/a/37166803/slimmer-jawai-ready-to-dominate-nbl/

it was a nerve pain injury that affected his back and his groin... It wasn't structural.

huh? the heart issue wasn't a weight issue, the Raptors were being extra cautious because of previous issues in the NBA..... Jawai was also at his peak physically at that time - having just been drafted.

The blurred vision, tingling arm etc were because he got an elbow to the top of his head..

The nerve injury is wasn't weight related Dr Anonymous...

I mean talk trash all you like anon, but at least get basic facts right - there's something called google out there.

Nice! linking to something unrelated to the guy's injury.

As Anon's go, you might just about be the most anon...

That was in reply to: "Is his heart still an issue? Raptors flashback."

Learn to read.

huh? I never said being overweight doesn't increase the chances of injury. I was simply saying that none of Jawai's previous injuries have been related to his weight. Did I stutter? I mean it's not that hard to understand.

Big units get injured regardless of their BMI, e.g. Matty Knight.

Work ethic is different to nutrition discipline. I don't question his want to be the best basketballer he can, reckon he loves the game, his club, teammates, coach etc. And reckon he does work hard on court and in the gym. But I do reckon he's let himself down with his inability to maintain a better playing weight. As you say podge it's the times when you can't work that as a pro sportsman you need the most discipline - and it's in those times he hasn't been able to maintain it.

Still, hope the best for the guy - he's a genuinely good guy and a hell of a basketballer when he's on his game.

Snooch - 100% and he's admitted that too.

hahaha sure. Just tell me how his concussion was weight related? Or his shoulder weight related? Or his 'heart' issue at the Raptors weight related?

Simple questions.

So you're not going to answer the question then?

haha so that's a no then, good talk.

I don't think anyone is saying weight is not an issue, most likely it played a part in it.

However, lets give Nate some props, he did work in the offseason to shed quite a bit of weight and let's face it, for him its probably a constant WIP.

Comments to the effect of, cos he's fat, simplifies the issue too much.

Anyway, hopefully he can continue to keep up the regime during his rehab.

Kingpodge is fast becoming the most excruciating poster on here.

Kenny: fast becoming? I thought I was already there. Have i mentioned that I enjoy Homicide's work in the commentary team?

Anon - it wasn't a pinched nerve, but hey, you do you brother.

Bitch fighting on the net :)

Who's the replacement?

Would Cam Tragardh be a suitable replacement?

LoveBroker - interesting idea, he can still get buckets. would depend on what they need and Trig's QBL offseason fitness.

For now with Jerry still here as injury cover, he can fill that rotation gap along with Jackson. Now if jackson plays well enough to keep taking those minutes and MC comes back strong - a replacement might not be needed.

The anons are pathetic. Sorry about them, Podge

Financially, it's not such a big blow for the Taipans as others have made it out to be. A lot of Nate's pay would be coming from the (Federal) government as an indigenous leader/ inspiration for the kids. NRL and AFL clubs also benefit from this.

Tough break for Nate though. I thought he was looking trimmer and playing well. He does need to have a bit of weight and power for his game style, so he would never be as good as a "lightweight Nate". He needs to get healthy and find a balance that works for him and his game.

Manu: haha it's pretty amusing really;)

Fearne has been the constant in Nate's success

Part of Nate’s deal in Perth was that he was assigned a personal trainer to keep him in playing shape. He got bigger as the season went on

He moves back to Cairns and drops 30kgs

He moves back to Cairns and drops 30kgs

He started last preseason at that

He maxed out at 220 in grade 4

Word is he just had dinner. 50 grams

I'll pay that

KingPodge,

Please that was from Tragardh's own mouth and Jawai was still very overweight last season in Cairns. As I said during the game he was noticeably slimmer on Friday night than he was last season.

My understanding is that Nate came into camp last season at 170kg, after playing in Perth. He dropped to 153kg for last season and his playing weight coming into this season was a shade under 140kg.

He certainly looks a lot slimmer than he did last year. I really hope he can keep it off and return after Christmas as fit and agile as he looked in game 1.

With a little talk going around concerning Trigger, can I suggest Matt Burston might be a better option?

Ok, I will. Matt Burston might be a better option, if the 'Pans go for a temporary replacement. I doubt they will.

Matt Burston would've been be a great temporary replacement 18 months ago but I don't think he's played since he left the taipans. Racking my brains trying to think of a qbl player big and good enough to cover at nbl level but I'm struggling.

Agree CT, I don't think Matt has played much outside some masters in the past 12mths.

(Zodiac: i wasn't having a go at you mate, what Trigger would have meant was Nate came to into the season/pre season at 170. It's been reported in the media as such over the past 18 months. He was still well and truly carrying far too much kgs.)

100th comment

jesus it's too early in the season for a 100 post thread....

Apparently Jawai was out jetskiing around Fitzroy Island on Friday. Clearly taking his rehab super seriously

He hasn't had surgery yet. Having it this week.

One of those things that can't get worse until he has surgery?

Did we find out exactly what it was? Because the plantar fascia is a ligament.

I only know what the Taipans have said. They seemed to be saying that it was a partial tear of a ligament rather than plantar fasciitis.

Manu - TCP reported that they couldn't get a surgeon until this week.

It was a ligament further down the foot, rather than the heal but I don't know a peroneus brevis from an extensor hallucis longus.

I'm actually a surgeon so I could tell you the difference. But I don't want to. I don't want to give away trade secrets