Basketball: Breakers boss falls on sword

The Breakers' general manager, Peter Chapman, has resigned, as he said he would should the team not make the NBL playoffs.

There is no acrimony with the board, which will employ him as an adviser and contracts negotiator as a new player roster is built by incoming coach Andrej Lemanis.

The club cannot talk to players from other clubs until two weeks after the ANBL April 1 finals series decider. On Saturday night the Sydney Kings became the first side in the 27-year history of the league to take three consecutive titles, winning 112-85 over the Wollongong Hawks after taking the first two games 96-73 and 105-80.

Chapman said he would leave feeling confident the club was in good position to achieve what it could not in the first two seasons.

"They have a good platform; they are set up in a fantastic stadium with better facilities than anyone else in the league," said Chapman. "I feel a great deal of satisfaction about that.

"I've lived, breathed, eaten and slept the Breakers - and at times I haven't slept. I don't know if I could live, breathe, eat and sleep the Breakers for 80 to 90 hours a week again next season."

His departure was to seek another challenge, he said, and with a house in Auckland and his daughter in school he will look around for an opportunity while working with the Breakers board. But otherwise it will be back to Australia. He came from a similar role at the Canberra Raiders.

His decision to resign was due to the pre-season promise of a top-eight playoff spot, which never looked likely.

"I'm true to my word," he said yesterday. And there was a dig at under-performing players. "When you put your life in the hands of elite athletes you're in a dangerous position." Of the team's chances, Chapman said: "They just need to get the right players. They have the right coach and he'll install some good discipline there."

Does he endorse some player changes? "Yes.

"I think they have to look closely at the commitment of players to the team.

"This is not a team that can survive without total commitment."

He will be discussing with Lemanis which players had shown commitment and some who hadn't.

Only Mike Chappell, Aaron Olson and co-captain Paul Henare are signed for 2005-06. Key is Henare's co-skipper Pero Cameron, who has commanded the biggest wage but struggled to achieve his best. If Cameron goes, as seems increasingly on the cards, it will free up money for a rebalancing of the team.

Of the rest, Dillon Boucher and Ben Pepper are likely to have a future at the club, subject to Lemanis' ideas on the roster and player agreement, while Ben Thompson played above his reputation and is sure to get an offer, as will Blake Truslove for his development work.

Lindsay Tait is probably their most promising player but his place could come down to Lemanis' game-plan and whether he wants to bring in a high-scoring point guard or a new centre or power forward as their second import behind Chappell. Mika Vukona and Hayden Allen remain good development squad options.

Breakers board chairman Keith Ward said Chapman's skills in negotiating contracts would be invaluable as Lemanis built a squad for a six-game trip to China from April 24.

"There are still skills of his that we need and he'll be reporting directly to the board," Ward said.

Lemanis settles in Auckland from Townsville over Easter and is looking to trial some players from Australia while also scouting in the US.