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The NBL are still hopeful of making a decision on the Cairns Taipans’ future on Thursday night. An NBL spokesman said a decision was expected “sooner rather than later” on the financially-stricken Taipans but described it as “complicated”.
Cairns players and coaching staff met with KPMG-appointed administrator Tony Jonsson on Thursday afternoon but it is not yet known whether they will play out the rest of the season.
Interim NBL chief executive Scott Derwin met on Wednesday with the club’s owner and major sponsor John O’Brien whose Pacific Toyota company has been hit hard by the global economic crisis.
The Taipans trained as usual on Thursday but there was no indication whether their away game against the Gold Coast Blaze on Saturday night would proceed.
The Taipans’ next home game is scheduled for Wednesday night against the Melbourne Tigers.
Derwin outlined a rescue package to the club on Wednesday, flagging pay cuts of up to 50 per cent.
Any rescue package would involve the players and coaching staff taking a significant pay cut similar to the deal which kept the Sydney Spirit alive last week.
Like Brisbane, who folded this season after owner and child-care magnate Eddy Groves hit hard times, Cairns’ heavy spending has caught up with them.
Despite losing the Bullets, Sydney Kings and Singapore Slingers in 2009, the NBL was caught totally off guard by Cairns’ dire financial plight.
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