Cairns' history of developing title winners

Two seasons after their 2023 semi-finals run, the Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans are yet to return to the post-season, however are not left wondering on who to support each season.

Building a talent network that has spread across the league, Cairns has watched former-Taipans raise the Championship trophy every year since 2019 – a record that no other team in the league can match.

Starting in 2019 with the Perth Wildcats claiming their ninth title – with a coaching staff featuring Adam Forde who was yet to make the move to Cairns – Clint Steindl helped take down Melbourne United 3-1, two years after Nate Jawai helped Perth take down New Zealand with the same record.

Returning to the playoffs the following year, the Aaron Fearne product provided an average of 11.3 points off the bench for the Wildcats in the semi-finals against his former team, with the Taipans unable to take down Perth and reach the Championship Series in 2019-20.

With COVID-19 affecting the subsequent series, the Wildcats were once more crowned champions with Steindl extending the streak against Cairns product Shaun Bruce who also appeared in the Grand Final.

Returning to the Championship Series in 2021, Steindl looked set to build on the now two-year streak, however number one seed United dominated the series, winning 3-0 with Mitch McCarron leading his side to the title three seasons after leaving Far North Queensland.

As the 2021-22 season and Adam Forde’s tenure in Cairns began, the nickname of “The Factory” quickly spread across the league with former players including Cameron Gliddon, Shaun Bruce, Rob Loe, Jarrod Weeks, McCarron and Steindl all holding key roles in the NBL whilst new players continued to develop.

Leading Majok Deng, Keanu Pinder, Bul Kuol and Ben Ayre in his first season in charge of the Taipans, Forde welcomed Sam Waardenburg, Jonah Antonio and Lat Mayen with the program only continuing to build.

Whilst “The Factory” developed, Cairns alumni continued to excel with Bruce and Kouat Noi claiming the title across 2022 and 2023 with the Sydney Kings whilst the incoming Tasmania JackJumpers built around a series of former-Taipans.

Now moving south to Hobart, Steindl was handed the captaincy of the new franchise, with Weeks, Fabijan Krslovic and Majok Deng all joining him in Tasmania – two of which lined up alongside the former-Wildcat as Vice Captains.

Reaching the Championship Series in their inaugural season in 2022, the JackJumpers returned in 2024 to face United who themselves were facing their first title battle since their 2021 run with McCarron.

Taking the series the full length, Tasmania were able to take down their Victorian foes with Steindl walking away with his third NBL championship and both Deng and Krslovic picking up their first.

With Cairns’ record of producing championship winning players now reaching six consecutive seasons, former-Taipans are now embedded across eight of the ten teams during the 2024-25 NBL season – Brisbane and Illawarra being the outliers.

Entering Game 5 with a new champion being crowned tonight, former-Taipans Loe and Jack White will suit up for Melbourne whilst Sam Gruggen will assist Justin Tatum’s Illawarra Hawks in his first season since leaving Cairns’ coaching ranks.