Sport
6 November, 2026
Basketballers in U18 gradings
CAIRNS Basketball under-18 representative teams are gearing up for another exciting weekend of competition as they travel to Mackay for the second round of grading tournaments, looking to build on their opening performances in Townsville.
With the representative season beginning to take shape, the upcoming tournament provides another valuable opportunity for Cairns’ emerging basketball talent to test themselves against some of North Queensland’s strongest junior sides.
The Stingers and Sharks, competing in boys divisions 2 and 3, will enter the weekend full of confidence following impressive performances during the opening tournament.
Both sides will be eager to continue their strong form, while several other Cairns teams will be looking to bounce back after challenging starts to their campaigns in Townsville.
For the Marlins, preparations have been encouraging, with the squad benefiting from consistent training and the return of players from injury.
Marlins assistant coach Mark Hepworth said he was confident in the team’s progress heading into the weekend.
“As a team we’ve trained well the last four weeks, we’ve got boys who’ve recovered really well off injuries and everything seems to be clicking, I’m liking what I’m seeing moving forward,” he said.
Sharks head coach Richard Ketchell is equally optimistic about his side’s development but believes there are still areas requiring improvement.
“We obviously want to continue our good form from a month ago, but at the same time I’m hoping we’ve got some of those bad habits out of our game too moving forward. Overall, I’m more than impressed how we’re tracking this season,” he said.
Following the Mackay competition, teams will have another four weeks to refine their skills, address weaknesses and prepare for the third and final grading tournament in Cairns.
Editor’s note: Jake Black is Cairns Basketball’s community engagement and junior development officer.
