Thank You Sam

The Kenfrost Homes Cairns Taipans thank Sam Waardenburg for his contributions to the Club and the community over the past four years, as the talented forward takes another step in his NBL journey.

The Taipans recruited Waardenburg from the University of Miami, signing him to a two-year deal. In his first season in orange, he averaged 11.3 points and 5.6 rebounds and won the inaugural Next Generation (Rookie of the Year) award in 2022.

The New Zealander showed his potential on a NBA court during Cairns' pre-season tour against Washington and Toronto in 2023. He scored 15 points against the Raptors and maintained the momentum in the opening rounds of the NBL season; recording season-highs of 22 points and 14 boards.

His second season consisted of injury setbacks, but despite the disruption he continued to be productive averaging 9.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists.

In his third year and on a new one-year contract, Waardenburg recorded a career-high high 6.4 rebounds and 3.4 assist during 2024-25. He also fell shy of achieving the Taipans’ first triple-double in Perth, with a monster performance of 24 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.

While it was another unsuccessful campaign for the team, Waardenburg’s efforts were rewarded and he signed another one-year contract with Cairns. He was named the Taipans’ Most Valuable Player, Taipans’ Defensive Player of the Year, and Member’s MVP.

The 27-year-old had a disrupted fourth and final season in Cairns and was only able to play eight games throughout 2025-26. After injuring his ankle in the pre-season, Waardenburg required surgery and didn’t play his first game until December.

Sadly in January, he sustained another ankle injury and did not return for the remainder of the competition. The fan favourite surpasses Bul Kuol to earn the most appearances by a Taipan since 2021 with 89 games under his belt.

The Taipans organisation and the Cairns community wish Sam and Tatiana the very best for the future.