Basketball: Breakers coup makes waves

By PETER JESSUP

The breakers bought themselves some serious credibility in Australia when they signed the Boomers centre/forward Ben Melmeth.

On the back of the securing of Tall Black captain Pero Cameron and three-point sharpshooter Phill Jones, Melmeth's signature means the Breakers are going to be seriously competitive from game one - no Warriors or Kingz-style hyped start then stall.

Along with Tall Black guards Dillon Boucher and Paul Henare, they have a starting five of internationals from both countries and the result will be major rumblings on the other side of the Tasman.

The signal sent is that the Breakers will be competitive from day one and that the other 11 ANBL teams had better watch out.

Team boss Jeff Green freely admits that he learned from mistakes made when he was in management with the Warriors while Tainui were owners in 1999-2000.

"We want to start from where the Warriors are now. We will learn from where they went wrong. We've hired seasoned Australian professionals, which is what we should have done at the Warriors. I'd equate this [Melmeth's signing] with the Warriors picking up Wally Lewis or Alf Langer at the height of their careers.

"This will send out shockwaves over there."

Green said he fully supported the contracting of his assistant Frank Arsego, former Australian Institute of Sport coach, for the same reasons.

"We missed that professional hands-on experience at the Warriors. We signed Mark Graham and the whole country expected him to do it, but we failed to back 'Sharko' up with seasoned pros and I intend to learn from that experience."

Green has already been back to the Warriors to seek guidance from coach Daniel Anderson and chief executive Mick Watson on issues from strength and conditioning routines to travel procedures.

He was over the moon with Melmeth's signing: "You can't get more experience in terms of a big name who still has years left to play."

The 2.13m, 28-year-old who was centre with the Sydney Kings but prefers playing at power forward has already spent a week with Green, Cameron and Boucher and was at practice with the trio with Green's Waikato Titans last week.

He knew Boucher already, having played against him at age-group representative level. He'd spent time here with his family years ago and enjoyed it, so signing to shift was no problem.

"The whole set-up looked first-class," he said. "In the end it was a no-brainer to play with a great bunch of guys."

What others are trying to figure is why Melmeth is leaving the champion Sydney Kings, who are guided by Boomers coach Brian Goorjian. Green said they spoke to him as soon as he became a free agent.

"He's a big guy that can run," said Green. "He's a great passer of the ball, he has an awesome jump shot."

With Henare, 24 - a Tall Black since 2000 and experienced at the Olympics and world championships - and Melmeth they have gone a long way to filling in the jigsaw of the game-plan.

Point guard Henare is an expert game-runner, fast or slow as the coach likes, and few mistakes in taking the ball up.

Melmeth prefers to play at forward rather than centre where Goorjian used him at the Kings and it's odds-on that is where Green will put him given his size and shooting prowess, plus Cameron's solid efforts and expertise as ball distributor and attack-planner.

Melmeth wasn't happy with his role at the Kings and his stats fell away. That and a combination of wage cuts induced by a reduced salary cap - down from A$920,000 in 2002/03 to A$780,000 in 03/04 - worked to the Breakers' advantage.

"He understands what is required of him here," said Green.

Melmeth said he knew it was his job to ensure the Breakers made a great start when they tip off in October and through their first season. Obviously he feels he can push on with his Australian Boomers career despite playing for "the opposition".

He is unfazed by Green's reputation as the New Zealand league's firebrand.

"I think players respond to passion and energy," he said.

Arsego's signature had a lot to do with the Breakers securing his, Melmeth said. He has known the AIS coach through junior rep grades and has a great deal of respect for him. "That was probably the clincher for me in making the move."

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Of Henare, who made his intentions of aiming at the Breakers plain early but was uncertain if he was wanted, Green said: "We need security as well as flair and Pauli gives us that - he has the safest pair of hands in the league."

Melmeth returns to New Zealand on June 16 to take part in and observe the Breakers' final trials for Kiwi players.

Franchise chief executive Michael Redman said they expected to sign two to three more Australian pros, one of them a top-level player, and the roster would be filled out with four to five Kiwis chosen by Green and Arsego at the trials.

The development squad of 16-22-year-olds below that will be all New Zealanders.

"That's where I expect the Breakers' future to lie," said Green of the juniors.


BEN MELMETH

Born: Newcastle.

Age: 28.

Representative honours: Australian representative from age 16, current Boomers centre

ANBL career: 153 games with Hunter Falcons, Canberra Cannons then Sydney Kings..

ANBL average: 16 points, stepping up to 21 in post-season with the Sydney Kings.