Game Preview: Hawks @ Brisbane Bullets | RD2 NBL27

Nine men have played 200 games for the Illawarra Hawks. On Friday night, Sam Froling becomes the tenth.

Basketball was never a choice for Froling, it was the family business. His father Shane played 271 NBL games, his mother Jenny won four WNBL championships, and his brother and sisters all turned professional. What nobody scripted was that he would become one of Illawarra's own before he turned 20, and a champion before he turned 26.

The Townsville product arrived from College as a rookie out of Creighton in 2019/20, won Most Improved Player, won the Next Generation Award, made the All-NBL Second Team, and co-captained this club to its first championship since 2001. He watched the deciding game of that series from the sideline with a ruptured Achilles. It was still his title.

The 200 Club

Froling joins a list that reads like a roll call of Hawks history:

• Glen Saville, 527
• Mat Campbell, 524
• Tim Coenraad, 374
• Rhys Martin, 254
• Melvin Thomas, 235
• Oscar Forman, 235
• Larry Davidson, 235
• Chuck Harmison, 234
• Gordie McLeod, 215

Nine names in the club's entire history. At 26, with two years still to run on his deal, Froling has time to climb a long way up it.

Hawks have another point guard and a big man combo to separate

Auckland stung. There is only one cure for a loss like that, and it's the next game. On Friday night the Hawks play at the Brisbane Entertainment Centre, and they arrive with a very specific problem to solve.

We already know what this looks like. On Sunday, Breakers playmaker Parker Jackson-Cartwright fed Sam Mennenga for 27 points against us. On Tuesday, Bullets playmaker Arnas Velička did the same thing to the Breakers, setting up centre Tyrell Harrison in Brisbane's 88-85 win. Friday, Velička and Harrison are ours to stop.

Head coach Justin Tatum called the loss in Auckland "an eye opener for us." Davo Hickey was blunter, saying the Hawks let key men do "whatever they wanted" instead of cutting their water off.

This is game two of a three-game road trip to open NBL27, with the Sydney Kings waiting on Sunday. The Gong gets its first look at this group on 2 October. The message has landed and the group is locked in.

The Matchup

What Brisbane did on Tuesday

‍The Bullets beat the Breakers 88-85 at Pat Rafter Arena, trailing 26-19 at quarter time and 44-37 at the break before winning the second half 51-41.

• Velička had 23 points and 14 assists, a record for an NBL debutant, with seven of those assists finding Harrison.
• Harrison scored 22, Nate Hinton added 14 points with eight rebounds and five assists.
• Brisbane won the rebound count 44-24, a margin of 20, blocked eight shots to two, and won the paint 52-40.
• They missed 13 free throws, going 15 from 28, and still won.

What the Hawks did on Sunday

‍Davo Hickey played the best game on the floor for us: 18 points on 8 of 11 shooting, nine rebounds and five assists. The Hawks out-rebounded a big New Zealand front line 46-39 and won the offensive glass 15-7.

Tatum pointed to wins in points in the paint (44-40), second chance points (12-6) and bench points (27-13). What beat us was the shooting. 7 of 31 from three and 16 of 25 at the line.

Team news

• The Hawks and Darius Days have mutually agreed to end his contract this week.
• Daniel Grida remains out for Friday night's game against the Brisbane Bullets. He will be replaced in the line-up by Lamar Patterson, who lines up against his former club.

Scouting the Bullets

Brisbane has rebuilt from the ground up under Will Weaver. In his one season with the Sydney Kings, Weaver took them to the minor premiership and a Grand Final series in 2019-20, and he arrived in the NBL with the 2019 NBA G League Coach of the Year award behind him. On Tuesday his new side came from seven down at the half to win.

Arnas Velička, the Conductor

The Lithuanian international has played World Cup and EuroBasket qualifiers for Lithuania and made their final squad for EuroBasket 2025. On debut he created 14 of Brisbane's 23 assists. That is 61 per cent of their offence running through one set of hands. When he has the ball, everything else follows.

Tyrell Harrison, the 214cm Finisher

‍Harrison scored 22 on Tuesday, most of it at the rim off Velička's passing. In NBL26 he averaged 15 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 1.8 assists at 65 per cent from the field. When he rests, 208cm Jacob Holt comes on, and Holt went 10 and 5 at 52 per cent last season. There is no relief inside.

Nate Hinton, the Pest

‍Hinton had 14 points, eight rebounds, five assists and two steals in his first game. Last season with the Memphis Hustle he averaged 18.0 points, 7.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and a league-leading 2.5 steals. He made the NBA G League All-Defensive First Team in 2023-24 and has NBA time with Dallas, Indiana and Houston. Loose passes become layups at his end.

Also on the radar

‍Max Mackinnon, son of 2007 NBL MVP Sam Mackinnon, had nine points and seven rebounds after averaging 15.7 a game at LSU. Jaylin Williams is a 6'8" forward who put up 13.7 points and 6.9 rebounds for the Stockton Kings at 36 per cent from deep.

Keys to Victory

Break the Line.
This is the game. Jackson-Cartwright to Mennenga beat us on Sunday. Velička to Harrison beat the Breakers on Tuesday. Same problem, new names. Make Velička give the ball up early, make Harrison catch it outside the restricted area, and force somebody else to be the one who beats us.

Guard Our Yard.
Tatum's words after Auckland: do "a better job of guarding our yard" and "understand where we help from." Brisbane coughed the ball up 14 times on Tuesday and New Zealand turned that into 17 points. The Hawks gave up only ten turnovers in Auckland. Take care of it at our end and punish it at theirs.

Own the Glass.
Brisbane won the boards 44-24 against New Zealand and the paint 52-40. We won the boards 46-39 against that same New Zealand front line.  Fifteen offensive rebounds are worth nothing without points attached.

Trust the Looks.
Davo said it best: "we just missed a lot of good shots tonight."

The ball movement that created 31 three-point attempts is worth keeping. We left nine free throws out there in NZ.

Game Details‍

• ‍Who: Illawarra Hawks at Brisbane Bullets
• ‍When: Friday 25 September 2026, 7:30pm AEST
• ‍Where: Brisbane Entertainment Centre
• ‍Watch: ESPN on Disney+

Then, Hawks @ Kings on Sunday

Two days later the Hawks are back in New South Wales to face the Sydney Kings at Afterpay Arena on Sunday 27 September at 6:00pm AEST, also on ESPN on Disney+.

Hawkheads have been allocated Section 16 at Qudos. Get your seats here.

Watch Party

Can't make either road game? Join other Hawkheads at The Illawarra for a watch party and make some noise from home.

Check our social media for more game updates and behind-the-scenes content.

STRONGER. LOUDER. TOGETHER.

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