Would be interesting to see how they do the fixture/schedule.

Travel costs between Tasmania and Auckland are quite large. On top of that you still have the NZ leg of the travel on top which is incredibly expensive i.e. a flight to somewhere like Invercargill (Southland) from Tasmania could be 3-4 flights and a bus (I flew Auckland to Invercargill for work last week and flights were $1k return).

I imagine the Huskies will cover the travel costs. There's some talk businesses associated with them may be one of the major sponsors of the comp next year.

I reckon to Invercargill they'd go Hobart-Melbourne-Queenstown and then bus south.

Expect a very strong side to be formed.

I read in one article there are concerns that the Huskies might do too well. Some people don't like the idea of an Australian team in the NZ NBL, and especially an Australian team winning their title. I certainly hope the same people are working to shut down the Breakers as well, lest they be hypocrites. But either way, this is an intelligent move to keep the bid alive, but most importantly they need an NBL-level venue or the whole venture is worth nothing.

Certainly talk of direct flights (again, they used to fly there years ago) to NZ next year.

Food for thought, step by step! Patience grasshopper!

If you have ever flown in to Hobart there maybe a site fairly close to that will fit the bill.....stuff the gcc

Seems like it would be very expensive for a Tasmanian basketball team to be part of a NZ competition but I do appreciate their moxie in trying to get their team out there.

Anon 621 - do you work for BTAS?

633 as I said, there is a site close to where you arrive in Hobart that could have a fair bit of work done while the Huskies play in NZ

No - there will be a new purpose built stadium

Where would you rather

It would be great if this worked out,i might even consider going to New Zealand if Hobart can get direct flights to Auckland,allthough i don't see this happening too soon.

The rumour is that Auckland flights from Hobart will start in January, but no announcement has been made yet.

834,yep ideal world picking where you want ie DEC.Believe GCC will rue how they handled 'negotiations' Having your own stadium in Cambridge is not a bad option.

@Scout - So the site is just a paddock and a few tree's to the left as you fly into hobart? Sounds like the perfect site!

City centre would be much much better, but from a personal perspective the Cambridge site would be pretty bloody good. Latest was they'd gone a bit cold on that site, don't know how true that is though.

damn there are a lot of negative posts on here.

Reality - have you actually done anything as substantial as bid and create a NBL team?

Would they entertain playing out of NZ?

Grew up on the Eastern Shore not there now - definitely more sun!

This is exciting and positive for Tas, no surprise there is conflict on the way not surpising, but the process is creating some great stuff

"damn there are a lot of negative posts on here."

Oh gee, I wonder why?

Could it be because every single "negative" (ie Realistic) thing said about the Huskies has come to pass?

Despite all the jitzing from 12yr old fan boys, their proposal had no substance.

"have you actually done anything as substantial as bid and create a NBL team?"

No, and neither have the Huskies.
They never even actually made a bid.

And their alternative? Putting a team into the NZ league? Talk about lowering your standards.

Cheers AD great post, added so much.

When was the last time you put in a bid for a nbl license?

Ok, I see, so I'm the idiot because the Huskies will have a team in the (A)NBL next year?

No wait, that's right, they have no fucking money and have NOT even mounted a bid.

"AD you clearly have no idea about the strength of the NZBL"

Wow. Ya know competition is always close, but I think we have a new contender for "Stupidest Comment of the Year."

You're now going to compare the quality of the NZBL to the (A)NBL???
I know there's now a surplus of Opium production in Tasmania, but you still need to dial back your consumption.

Well said anon 74 ; anon 75 grow up.....expect i won't see you at the games at the siverdome

Anon 87 not 75

The question is though, will they ever get into the Australian nbl?

Yawn...

Wake me up when they actually submit a bid to join the NBL.

Til then, enjoy winning the Golden Doobie, or whatever you get in the Kiwi bush league.

Or we could just let you sleep Dazz.
Peace for the rest of us zzzz.

Press conference today at 10

also announce signing of Harry Froling

Have been admitted in to the NZBL for next 5 years. Step by step, this is a methodical, professional development of a club.

impressed

Let's hope the Hobart Home venue is sorted quickly.

So NZBL for 5 years then onto the NBL?

Hope the NBL don't get the other teams they want in the league ahead of the Huskies or they'll need the full 5 year in the league!

As NZNBL is in the AUS NBL off-season, could the Huskies be the first team to play in both leagues?

LC, i hope so, and it sounds like its their plan to play both leagues and use the NZ NBL team to develop their players for the Aus NBL team if/when they have it up and running.

It could be a very good model. Basketball all year round for the Huskies in two different, complementary leagues.

Interestinly in an article i read that if an Aussie plays more than 7.5 mins per game in the NBL they are classed as a import in the NZ NBL, is that correct?

As that would make Froling and Moller imports

I wonder as i got the impression from the press conference this morning, they were signing Bragg, Moller, Froling, Tre Nichols (import) and another exciting import who had played in Australia before.

So is the article wrong??

Surely the Huskies are allowed to sign Australians as locals no matter how many minutes they play in the NBL.

Why should the Huskies be allowed a huge recruitment advantage?

All the state leagues here treat NBL players over a certain minutes threshold as restricted, I imagine the same reasoning applies to the NZ NBL.

Only because say Corey Webster can play NZ NBL as a local even though playing more minutes in the Aus NBL,

Fair enough as he is a New Zealander, but surely an Aussie club should be able to do the equivalent, surely they dont want the Huskies poaching the New Zealand top talent away from the New Zealand clubs, and weakening them.

Also, given they basically said they were recruiting Americans on top of Froling and Moller, I was thinking they must have got the all clear from the NZ NBL to do so and was just wondering why the minutes limit is listed in the article.

I think it would be good if Aussies can play NZ NBL as locals at any club, just as New Zealanders can here in the Aus NBL.

Was just interested to know how it all works in the NZ NBL.

Ah that makes sense, thank you for the info, I wasnt sure how it all worked in the NZ NBL, but will be watching the Huskies for sure.

Hmm very interesting,

As just read an article in the Mercury, that they have offered a contract to American import Jalen Billups who has put up some great numbers in the WA SBL, previously

Meaning their starting 5 would be

Bragg
Nichols
Moller
Billups
Froling

Which gives them 2 Americans, plus 2 Aussies playing more than 7.5 mins per game.

Assuming they haven't miss understood the rules and stuffed up and signed too many imports, they must have been given an extra allowance of 1 extra Aussie NBL player to make that 5 possible, as suggested by a previous poster.

Which to me makes sense to allow them to have atleast 1 good Aussie as a non import, which also helps the NZ clubs as it means the Huskies are not out trying to poach their top talent by being able to field a starting 5 like this, and i assume the rest of the team will be Aussies who are not in the NBL or play less than 7.5 min per game.

Solid 5.....locals like Jack Stanwix should be additional signings

OK, its confirmed there is no extra NBL guy its just 3 imports, which includes Aussies playing more than 7.5 min per game in the NBL, in an interview from Hickey, which makes sense, but I was hoping they could as it would give them a really strong 5.

So that would make it impossible for them to sign both Nichols and Moller on top of Froling and Billups, so will be interesting to see who they go with and why they have mentioned both previously.

Still looking like the Huskies are building a strong NZ NBL squad.

Can still have a 5 of

Bragg
Muo
Moller or Nichols
Billups
Froling

And could still sign a quality NZ player if they chose

Yea I was hoping they could keep them both too and also add froling n billups

Per the mercury, if Mollers mins drop below 7.5 per game, they would still love to have him but can't fit him in otherwise

They are expected to announce muo and Nichols soon

I wonder if Moller was asking for Too much money or didn't want to come back?

Or billups had the better highlight real and was an elite state league player, possibly cheaper, ready to commit, so they just locked him in

If he knows and has player with Nichols that's a bonus

I'm excited to see the Huskies play

Yea it's interesting

I dare say they didn't want to wait til last minute for Moller

Billups will have froling next to him, froling should be the best C in NZ NBL so that should make thrm strong inside

In reality if some of these imports were Australian they would be in the NBL, and even the NBL boomers

Look at kendle, or even holt, who are both better then cadee

So if billups was ready to commit quicker then Moller and possibly cheaper I can see why they signed him and didn't wait

Whoever said Moller is better than Nichols and Billups combined must be smoking crack.

He's extremely valuable on the defensive end but offensively still has a heap of room for improvement (and that's not a bad thing). Let's not forget Nichols was the go to guy last year for the Chargers, consistently closing out games and making big bucket after big bucket. Could easily play in the NBL given a chance (and be very effective).

The problem is there's only so many spots and unfortunately import spots tend to be taken by guys who are already proven at higher levels. Doesn't mean they're necessarily better. Take a look at Steve Blake.. gave the kings nothing. Would have gotten more from an ABA import (ala Kendall) who is at the top of their game and trying to make a name for themselves.

Comes down to opportunity and being seen by the right eyes at the right time.

"froling should be the best C in NZ NBL so that should make thrm strong inside"

If Pledger and Loe are playing he will be one of the good centres, also depends who some of the imports are. Both he and Billups can shoot it though, so that makes them dangerous, especially if they have Nichols.