“Excited to get back in front of the Orange Army”: McVeigh ready for showdown against McGee and the Hawks

After a gritty road win in Tasmania, Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans forward Jack McVeigh said his side is beginning to form a new identity ahead of Friday night’s clash with the Illawarra Hawks.

“We’re still finding our identity as a team and what that looks like in terms of winning games,” McVeigh said.

“I think that was a step forward. We’re a different team to what Cairns have had in the past — we’re going to be slower, grinding out possessions in the half-court and making the opposition grind it out in theirs.”

The Taipans claimed a statement 75-69 victory over McVeigh’s former side, the Tasmania JackJumpers, behind a dominant trio performance from McVeigh, Andrew Andrews, and Admiral Schofield.

The three combined for 68 of Cairns’ 75 points — one of the most concentrated scoring efforts in recent NBL history.

“It’s probably the first time all three of us played well together at the same time,” McVeigh said.

“We’re learning how each other likes to play, how we like to receive the ball and in what spots. That victory helped create more clarity in what we want. Hopefully this week we can get Marcus Lee going — catching lobs and doing what he does best.”

The Taipans were near-flawless in their ball control, recording just three turnovers for the entire game — the lowest by any side under Head Coach Adam Forde, and the second lowest in Taipans franchise history.

Defensively, Cairns lived up to its reputation as the league’s top three-point stoppers, holding Tasmania to just 4-25 from beyond the arc (16 per cent) with it proving decisive in the contest.

McVeigh credited the defensive impact of Lachlan Barker and Mojave King off the bench, who both stepped up in the absence of injured shooters Reyne Smith (foot) and Kody Stattmann (hamstring).

“It’s just a new opportunity and hopefully long term guys will improve because of it,” he said.

“Lachlan stepped up and played big minutes in Tasmania, and Mojave’s been thrown into the fire. We’re just finding ways to get wins and improve long term so when we have all our pieces back, we can make a playoff push.”

Shooting guard Reyne Smith will be out for Friday night’s clash against the Hawks after suffering a foot injury in Saturday’s win over the JackJumpers.

The Tasmanian sharpshooter went down in the second quarter and did not return, forcing Head Coach Adam Forde to shuffle his rotation in the gritty road victory.

Smith has been a key contributor early in the season, averaging over 10.2 points per game with a season-high 17 points against Adelaide 36ers in round 5 and providing vital perimeter shooting for the Taipans’ offence.

The club is monitoring his recovery with an aim to have Smith and Kody Stattmann (hamstring) return to the side for their round 10 home fixture against the New Zealand Breakers on 22 November.

While still managing a wrist injury, McVeigh said he’s relishing being back to his aggressive best.

“It was fun being able to go out there and be aggressive again and play the way Jack McVeigh plays — hunting the ball, hunting buckets,” he said.

“Excited to get back in front of the Orange Army, get some yells and screams in and hopefully they answer the call.”

The Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans will host the Illawarra Hawks this Friday, November 7 at the Cairns Convention Centre from 6:30pm. Grab your tickets for their return to the Far North HERE.