Sport
27 November, 2020
From the Fire Pit - November 27
The Townsville Fire are proving they’re a force to be reckoned with, circling the top of the 2020 WNBL ladder as they make their Cairns season debut this weekend.
After finishing 2019 last, Townsville have surged into the top three over the past week with coach Shannon Seebohm crediting the team’s comradery in helping to boost them up.
“We’ve got a really tightknit group and some really great personalities and the girls get along really well off the court so those kinds of things really help,” Seebohm said.
“We’re trying to be really stringent with our recovery giving the girls days off and time away from the court outside of games.”
While he did admit home-town advantage had been a bonus for the team who have played five of their last seven matches in Townsville, he said mindset was a key factor behind the wins.
“I think it’s the mindset the girls have had,” he said. “They’ve turned up each and every game ready to play from the tip off.”
Cairns fans can expect an exciting weekend of basketball with the Fire set to make their season debut at Cairns Pop-up Arena on Saturday against Southside.
“Southside I think on paper are probably the most talented team in the competition,” he said.
“They’ve had a couple of losses at their end which they were probably not expecting.
“I’m sure they’re going to be trying to come out in their next couple of games and really make a statement and show they are the best team in the league so we need to be ready and put our best foot forward to try and get another win.”
The Fire’s other big match and must-win according to Seebohm, is in Cairns on Sunday when they take on Sydney Uni.
“That one is crucial for us in terms of trying to be a top four team and we had a really tight contest with Sydney last time we played,” he said.
“Sydney have had a couple of really nice performances recently and they’re a really tough team so we need to make sure we bring our own game.
“That one’s going to be a big one for us.”
