"RAC Arena"

Kings are lucky to have a 24/7 breakdown service close by...

Can people stop cockblocking Jack Toft.

Jack Toft is funnier.

Jack Toft other than being an Adelaide supporter is best at these game threads.

Agreed. Only I disagree with the biggest game of the season - Perth/Melb is a bigger matchup I think, after the last game especially.

Sydney should rest Bogut, Newley, Lisch, and just mail this one in. They're not going to win it anyway, and if they do, then its a guaranteed loss on the Sunday in Wollongong. Pathetic scheduling by the NBL having a 10pm Friday game and a Sunday afternoon match with a long flight in between.

Bogut will obviously get a serve from the Army. Be interesting to see if he can do the mature thing and let his stats do the talking, or if he just responds by being an even bigger dickhead.

Perth without Cotton had to play their worst game of the season for Sydney to win. I don't see a repeat likely.

Much as I am grateful for a return to a normal timeslot, it does seem odd that it's Sydney. I'd have thought they would schedule Sydney's games in a better viewing timeslot

Jack Toft is a champ but I doubt he minds others sharing the load.
Sometimes there's a big game coming up and the thread needs to be created before Jack is ready to do his writeup. This one being a prime example.
The game is still 4 days away but there is already so much to discuss right now, such as:
- Are Jack Toft game threads better?
- Just how good is Jack Toft?
- Should Jack Toft have the exclusive rights to starting game threads?

AD, there is no way Bogut will get a serve from the Perth crowd. The "love tap" that Gleeson refers to was such a nothing incident its really not worth him getting booed for it.

There will be a huge crowd there who want to see Bogut because he's Bogut, and the hype he attracts. Theres no reason for him to be booed unless he does something in-game to warrant it.

Bogut will be booed IMO. Would expect nothing less from the Perth crowd, and I think Bogut will love it.

I agree. I expect there will be plenty of cheers, but no shortage of boos as well.
And I agree that he will love it.

And if the DJ is on the ball, he will play the Friends tv show theme song when Bogut is introduced.

Every team cops it chris, just the nature of the schedule. Should be a great game, personally friday night is prime time for an nbl game, especially to attend.

With some of the ridiculous scheduling you see in the NBL each season. They should be keeping the historic Adelaide - Perth doomsday double

"there is no way Bogut will get a serve from the Perth crowd."

Obviously never been to WA, much less a wildcats game.

Fans love any excuse to rip into an opposition player. No real malice, just good fun.

And yes, Bogut should lap it up and try to dominate the scoreboard. Big test of his ego. Is he a showman, or just a dickhead.
The crowd won't intimidate him, but if it goads him into making mistakes trying to prove what a big man he is, then it will be job done.

"There will be a huge crowd there who want to see Bogut because he's Bogut,"

No sure where you're expecting said crowd?
I can guarantee that the majority of people inside the Arena did not even know Bogut's name until the incident last game.

(I don't know how it works elsewhere but I can assume you that the average Wildcats fan is not some sad NBA fanboy pining for a glimpse of their hero. Heck, many don't know the names of our own players, much less guys in the NBA.)

"Pathetic scheduling by the NBL having a 10pm Friday game and a Sunday afternoon match with a long flight in between."

Don't see how it's different materially to what Perth & NZ had to endure last weekend. Game Friday night, the return Game Sunday late afternoon. Travel Perth to NZ and vice versa is longer and is an international flight and there is the time difference of 5 hours which is significant;

Plus in Perth's case, they had to go Perth to NZ, then NZ to Perth.

Point is every team has to endure this type of scheduling so its nothing new.

"I can guarantee that the majority of people inside the Arena did not even know Bogut's name until the incident last game."


LOLOL Swaka Lo Buluk gets the biggest noise all game when he checks in and even louder when he scores but no one would know who Bogut is. Sounds accurate. I would love to hear more of these guarantees. Do you guarantee that the majority of people inside the Arena have never seen the colour red? Do you guarantee that the majority of people inside the Arena do not know of the song We Will Rock You? Do you guarantee that the majority of people inside the Arena have never seen a flop? Whoopsie! maybe too close to home with that one!

Hmmm, the Perth booing is massively overrated in my opinion and ive been to hundreds of Wildcats games including games where former players return. There will be passionate fans that will boo, but the majority will also be there to watch and appreciate a great player who has achieved incredible success.

Oh and maybe its just you that hasnt heard of Bogut prior to last weeks so called incident. Hes one of the most highest profile Australian sports stars. Pretty sure most if not all WA fans know who Bogut is. Give WA fans some credit...

"I can guarantee that the majority of people inside the Arena did not even know Bogut's name until the incident last game."

You are absolutely off your rocker if you think most of the people who will be at the game won't know who Bogut is, that's some disrespect to basketball fans!

"Fans love any excuse to rip into an opposition player."

Load of crap too, the majority of Perth fans boo when someone does something they consider "wrong" against us. Guys like Goulding etc get booed due to past discretions, booing for Bogut won't start unless he does something dirty.

Dazz you're an idiot.
Anyone with half a brain knows who Bogut is.
Saying that the rest of us don't even know some of our own players are is one of your dumber comments.
Wanting to see Bogut isn't about being a fanboy it's about seeing one of the best Australian bigs to play the game.

When you have an odd opinion about something and you then assume everyone else has the same opinion that is called projection. The post by AD is clearly wrong but because it is projection it reveals his own ignorance.
And Bogut sneaking into our huddle the other day is enough of a reason for some people to boo him. I think the "any excuse" post has some truth to it.

No sure where you're expecting said crowd?
I can guarantee that the majority of people inside the Arena did not even know Bogut's name until the incident last game.
(I don't know how it works elsewhere but I can assume you that the average Wildcats fan is not some sad NBA fanboy pining for a glimpse of their hero. Heck, many don't know the names of our own players, much less guys in the NBA.)

"Point is every team has to endure this type of scheduling so its nothing new."

I think it's relatively new in the larger history of NBL scheduling, MACDUB? I mean the back to back games scheduled on the same weekend, regardless of travel, is a recent scheduling choice.

I can't recall if it happened at all under BA management - there may have been occasional weekends like that. However, under current management, it's a deliberate marketing strategy and teams routinely are scheduled to play each other twice in a weekend.

At least that's how I recall how it's reached this point. Happy to be corrected if my memory's at fault.

^ I just had a look on Ticketek and the top section is indeed being sold.
I feel like those seats are usually classified as "Nickel" - is that correct?
Because for this game they are being sold as Bronze!

Hey all, I'm fairly new to this site so don't know the deal with DAZZ! Is it poss that he was being sarcastic. My immediate thoughts were that it was just a dig at WCat's fan but all comments re that were jumping all over DAZZ. If he does deserve that I want to know. Can't be caught laughing at things said by some-one everyone hates (LOrL).

"You can boo a player but still respect and admire their game. It's all part of the experience."

Yes, but why boo Bogut in the first place? (theatre isn't really a good enough reason lets be honest). What has he done to garner any displeasure or disapproval from Perth fans.

Granted, people can boo a player and still respect or admire their game - but the people who are booing still usually have a fundamental basis to boo in the first place (e.g. Hayward returning to the Jazz).

By your definition, any crowd should just boo any opposition player for the hell of it?

"Yes, but why boo Bogut in the first place? (theatre isn't really a good enough reason lets be honest). What has he done to garner any displeasure or disapproval from Perth fans. "

100% agree, Bogut would have to "Childress" one of our players for me to boo him. The huddle thing was funny, Bogut being a cock, but Gleeson was worse in that situation. I'm sure there will be quite a few people that boo him for no reason, I won't be one of them.

Agree it was minor and shouldn't be held against Gleeson or Bogut;

If on the other hand, Bogut signed for Perth, left a few rounds in to go to Sydney, then beat Perth @ Perth whilst playing for Sydney and proceeded to stamp on a logo of a Wildcat's legend at their home court - well then, I'd say boo away! ;)

He's a cock, but couldn't imagine he'd be that big of a cock!

Anon 961

Humphrey Bogart:
"You're not a star until they can spell your name in Karachi".

I'm glad that Australia’s leading bogan venue is home to so many casual Die Hard fans.

Teams best player is reason enough to boo them, anything to try throw them off their game right? Try get under the best players skin, have him focus on the crowd instead of the game... I guess that would be a reason to boo Bogut?

You Can call me whatever you want, but I am not the poster known as Dazz, I have never used that name.

Obviously, anybody that follows basketball in a wider sense knows who Bogut is, that's not the issue.
And again, I can't speak for other states, but I can tell you how things operate in Perth.
There are a lot of people who follow the Wildcats because they are from Perth, and becuase they have been so successful. Same people also cheer on the Glory and the Force. If we regularly kicked your arses in Badmington, it would get a huge following too.
When we played at Challenge, yep sure, we were all died in the wool diehard basketball tragics.
But since moving to the Arena, the Wildcats have become a great night (or morning) out. And even so, it is possible to be a passionate wildcats fan without giving two hoots about basketball outside of Perth.
Now that may disgust you, but their support is valid.
I am often surrounded by casual viewers, a lot seem to get the seats through work. And some of the stuff I've had to explain to people is mind-boggling. Like why we have the "wrong" singlets hanging from the rafters, why the black guys are professionals from America and not refugees, where Jervis has been for two years.
Oh, and try telling your average Wildcat fan that Martin isn't from Perth.

As for the booing, as I said there's no malevolence, its all part of the theatre, but fans will serve it up to anyone given half a chance.
And As I said, I wouldn't expect it to phase Bogut one bit. We can only hope that it goads him into committing more fouls

The old members, supporters, fans discussion...
Your 2000 odd float in/out single gamers (fans) yep may not know who bogut is and your corporate box (supporter) guests may or may not know as well...
Your members coming to every game unless of wedding, funeral or stupid pre-midday start may not know the 10 & 11th man on each team, but will know the stars of every team. Plus every Sydney NBL news story mentions Bogut, let alone the press coverage when he signed up.
"Bogut? oh the big guy from the NBA right, playing for Sydney, or was it Melbourne, fark he must have alotta money to leave the NBA, has he played for Australia?"

The booing, if it happens of course wont phase Bogut at all, he'd probably even prefer it. Agree with everyone that says that. But there would have to be a reason to boo (and even moreso to do it all game) and that so called incident with Gleeson is hardly 'boo-worthy'. Booing to put off a great player to help your team win? Does that actually happen?

If there are boos, and im sure there would be a few from some overly fired up fans, i doubt it will be significant enough and done consistently throughout the game, unless something happens during the game to get the fans worked up.

And AD, you must be sitting next to some absolute morons if they're asking you those questions!

ADD2.0 whoever please do not speak on behalf of other Perth fans.

"I'm a casual die hard fan so can explain it. It's a classic but I've seen it quite a few times. If I happen to flick past it when channel surfing there is a fair chance I will keep watching it but I don't make a special effort to find out when its on and I don't own it on dvd."

Anon that is not a die hard fan. Even a casual one

Keep in mind that this whole Bogut thread was started by someone claiming that there would be a huge crowd there just to see Bogut, which, all other arguments aside, is a pile of twaddle.

It's a (now rare) Friday night game. Wildcats could sell out the Arena playing a SEABL team. To suggest people are there just to see Bogut is beyond laughable.

I've never claimed to speak on behalf of anybody, but unlike some I am realistic about what makes up the diversity of a Perth crowd.
And whilst I may have been a bit hyperbolic before, I can absolutely, no shit, assure you, that the number of people turning up just to see Bogut, will be handsomely outnumbered by those who have no real idea who he is.

And I'll reiterate, if you think Bogut is going to be welcomed by anybody "because of what a superstar he is" then you need to have your doctor dial back the happy pills.
And this is another no-shit guarantee you can take to the bank, the number of people cheering bogut, will be outnumbered by those jeering, by some order of magnitude.

Now any chance we can discuss the game? Or do you want to keep on explaining how much everyone in Perth loves Bogut?

Which Perth are you residing in Dazz!!! Are you talking about the Wildcats of the Scotland caber toss league?

Of course friday night would be a sell out regardless. But i can safely say that many wildcats fans would have penciled this one in as a must see at the start of the season. Never before has the kings coming to town been such a huge draw card. Geez i wonder why this time is any different?

Absolutelynot Dazz might be confusing "Drawcard Player" with "OMG I Love That Player and will be cheering for him to destroy the Wildcats" judging by his/her responses to some of the things said here.

There is added interest as a result of Bogut. One person in the state denying it doesn't make it untrue. He'll still be wearing opposition colours though and 11,000 of the fans in there will be mostly the same 11,000 who are there supporting the Cats in all their other games so it's not like they're going to suddenly be Kings fans on Friday.

Now any chance we can get back to discussing Jack Toft? I feel like his thread-starting abilities had not been fully debated by the time all of this Bogut interest denial & rebuttal got going.

JT well just may be the biggest draw card to hoops

Alrighty lets get even more off topic than the actual game or an ex aussie NBA player playing in the game

Forecast for 38 degrees here in Perth on Friday, I'm gonna melt...

Where can i put everything i own that the Wildcats will attempt more Free Throws than the Kings?

Remember though you must be 18 to gamble and please do so responsibly.

What team do you support kid?

Still plenty of tickets available.
Cats might have stuffed up by cranking up the prices so much for this game.
$56.05 + ticketing fee for the worst seats in the house is a major piss take.

What NBL team do you support 'What's happened to the NBA'??

What happened to the NBA, you could go to one of those salt immersion therapy centres and you would STILL be the saltiest person there.

Referees at home licking there lips at the rimming they are going to give the Kings tomorrow night.

Referees at home licking there lips at the rimming they are going to give the Kings tomorrow night.

"11,000 of the fans in there will be mostly the same 11,000 who are there supporting the Cats in all their other games so it's not like they're going to suddenly be Kings fans on Friday."

Don't go being sensible, people will get upset.

"Cats might have stuffed up by cranking up the prices so much for this game.
$56.05 + ticketing fee for the worst seats in the house is a major piss take. "

Not sure if they have done away with Nickel completely? I could be wrong, but I thought Nickel had been reduced to only a few rows in the back corners? I think all the "balcony" seats are now Bronze.

And you can blame the NBL for that.
Wildcats are struggling to sell extra tickets to most games, so they're forced to gouge the few Friday Night games.
Keeping in mind that the overwhelming majority are season members.

Ahh, that's my bad if those have been bronze all season. I'm pretty sure the whole top section was nickel in previous seasons.
There were quite a few people up there last game. At those prices I'm kinda shocked by that. Steep on multiple levels.

"He carries on like a bit of a pork chop sometimes on social media and maybe carries himself in a way that I don't particularly agree with sometimes, but on court I still think he's a really great player"
-Angus Brandt on Andrew Bogut

Angus Beef vs Pork Chop Bogut should now be extra interesting. Which meat will win?

Wildcats will attempt 38 FTs to the Kings 15

Book it.

I hope they do so that you can continue to post same crap regularly.

My parents have a family pass where they take my niece and nephew to games... tomorrow night my niece cant make the game so I have been asked if I want the ticket.

I heard because its a childrens ticket id need to pay extra to use it, they sit in gold section and was wondering if anyone has done this before and if so how much they needed to pay?

I hope Randle busts out of his funk Friday night, but maybe not against Martin. Always a tough ask to pick up a W in Perth though, and I expect Bogut's run of (relative) foul-free games to end either way. Win or lose, hopefully it's not another 70-64 type scoreline snoozefest.

So who's the original white meathead?

Heal, or do we need to look to another sport?

Sydney capable of playing poorly e.g. Breakers game, firing on about 2.5 cylinders. But they are a better team than Perth and should be too good. Perth will scrap and fight and could upset but I don't expect that result.

So regardless of Bogut playing or not it makes no difference to the people going to the game? That logic alone is stupid. While it wont impact the attendance as much since PA is usually near capacity every game because members alone fill it up, if you think this game has the same level of interest as any other game then your crazy.

Put it this way, if Bogut was a last minute withdrawal due to injury, im positive there would be a deflating dissapointment from the fans even if they go to every game anyway and generally dont care who they're playing.

Interest alone in this game from the media has been significant, plus the cats have increased prices for tickets to a game that is clearly in hot demand (though its a bit greedy and im not thrilled about that personally)

Perth and their fans gotta sometimes look outside of Perth and look at the league as a whole, or they will be left playing with themselves.

Bogut has without a doubt sold extra tickets around the country, especially in his 1st game at any place and drawn greater media and broader fan interest. Which can lead to more sponsors, etc for the NBL and clubs around the country.

Not sure if that has made tonnes of $$$ but the NBL has a genuine marketable star that even more casual fans have heard of.

Whether he should or shouldnt stay in his lane with his comments is one thing, and could be debated either way, some people like these high profile people to have a voice, others wish he would just shut up and play basketball, I can see both logics, and probably tend to lean towards him staying more focussed on basketball and less on the other issues. But at the end of the day its his life he can say and do what he likes within the laws and morals of society.

Lol very good "Anonymous 397". Just the type of response expected on here. Well done

Kings better than Perth in most areas with one exception, defense, scraping and hustling.
Bogut more valuable than Cotton. He affects the game so many different ways. Randle and Lisch playing poorly at the moment but they have the potential to rip any team at any time. Perth probably only has Wagstaff under certain conditions.
Kickert is bonus time. They get by without him at moment but a player who can get going. Newley is another that they don't rely on. You would take Bowen over Hire anytime?
Team v talent. Talent 80% of time!

I reckon system defense chemistry and experience prevails over talent 80% percent of the time ;)

Sydney's defence is as good as Perth's. Over the past month or so I think they've been the best defensive team in the league.

"Perth's main advantage is having a coach."

Matty Nielson

In all seriousness, should be a cracker!

#722477 indeed it should. What with pork chops running around and standing where ever they like,refs ensuring that they have their "different" RAC Arena whistles at the ready and us feral Red Army being at our feral best. Bring it on!

Perth wasn't even tipped to play finals, yet sit on top. Sydney have to show they can win here,perth don't have to prove anything.

I would agree with Bowen over Hire.
But give me Kay over Wear and Kickert.
Steindl over Wilson.

Looks like most of the 400 section seats are mysteriously back to being Nickel today (and all other sections have only single seats available)

I don't buy this Kings are better than Wildcats theory.

Bowen's better than Hire in general, but Hire's been way more productive to us than Bowen has been to the Kings recently.

The backcourt is going to cancel each other out I think in this game, 2 former DPoY in Damo and Lisch covering Randle and Cotton. Norton will struggle a bit without trying to foul Randle. Even.

It's going to be won in the front court IMO, Jervis and Brandt need to contain Bogut as much as possible, but need to provide offense too which they both haven't done in recent times. If Kay has his way inside against Kickert and Wear then Cats have the edge inside IMO.

The rest: Terrico, Wagstaff, Steindl and Vague vs Newley, Pineau, Wilson and Deng. Cats easily have the experience, depth and talent.

Coaches: Gleeson/Knight - daylight - Gaze/Copeland

Yep, disagree that Kings are better.

Just had someone from the Wildcats membership team hang up on me because when asking how much it would cost to upgrade from a childs pass to adult so I could use it tonight it turns out to be cheaper for me to just buy the cheapest ticket at the arena then proceed to sit in the membership seat.

After saying I cant do that (but unable to tell me how they could possibly stop me), She said its wrong of me to do it and if she was in my position she wouldnt do it because its the wrong thing to do... then she hung up.

Delightful...

I guess it isn't wrong in what she is saying...guess it all depends on your own personal moral compass and the difference in price between the cheapest seat and the upgrade. She probably shouldn't have got so upset about it though, lol.

Hardly stealing when my parents paid for the membership already prior to the season starting and I am still paying for an adult ticket (just a different seat). No reason to get so upset and drop your level of professionalism and hang up on me.

As for my moral compass - I choose a seat with limited view that probably wont be sold regardless and then make my way to sit in a better seat with my family... I will sleep at night just fine (especially if the Cats win).

"As for my moral compass - I choose a seat with limited view that probably wont be sold regardless and then make my way to sit in a better seat with my family... I will sleep at night just fine (especially if the Cats win)."

Exactly, I concur.

Every budding referee that wants to learn how to maipulate a result should look not further than tonights game.

"Put yourself in the shoes of the Wildcats, it even doesn't have to be the Wildcats, can be any ongoing concern.

They are trying to turn a profit and you are trying to backdoor the convention, how do you think they should act? I think hanging up on a customer is poor form but you certainly didn't help matters.

Imagine if you tried that with Qantas, trying to buy a child ticket for an adult"

Thats the thing though - im not trying to buy a child ticket for an adult. My parents are members who have a family pass as they take my niece and nephew to games... my niece cant make it and I was happy to pay a difference as I am an adult using the seat for 1 game that otherwise would go unused (so they already have their money regardless for the seat).

Also what did I do that didnt help matters? all I suggested (politely I might add) was that is would be more financially beneficial for me to purchase a cheap limited viewing seat and then proceed down to my parents empty seat and sit there... I dont believe that deserves being hung on on.

"All I did was suggest stealing, I don't understand why they're upset with me!"

You're welcome to buy the cheaper ticket and sit in that seat, nobody would have a problem with that.

"I love pork chops" but there are only skewers on the BBQ. Huh?

While we're picking at the photo, it also shows Perth Arena instead of RAC Arena, and also shows Trevor in the vicinity of a ref but his mouth is closed.

"All I did was suggest stealing, I don't understand why they're upset with me!"

You're welcome to buy the cheaper ticket and sit in that seat, nobody would have a problem with that.

Have I paid for a ticket - yes
is there a vacant seat closer to the court that I can sit in - yes

Not like its never been done before by probably a vast majority of people in other NBL stadiums where they fail to sell out...

Wildcats more offensive rebounds than the Kings have total rebounds. That's the difference so far.

15 point lead. Cough. That is all.

Have I paid for a ticket - yes
is there a vacant seat closer to the court that I can sit in - yes

Not like its never been done before by probably a vast majority of people in other NBL stadiums where they fail to sell out...

Yeah, shitty way to lose a game. To be comfortably up and basically goose it away.
It was an even game for about a half, then the Wildcats predictably started to draw away. Then just fell apart in the last few minutes. Pissed me off the they were killing us in transition, and Wagstaff & Kay were toddling down the court like a pair of old codgers.