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<\/p>\n
For the Taipans Andrews ended the night with 15 points, five assists and two rebounds, though his five turnovers were part of Cairns\u2019 16 for the game.<\/p>\n
Much of the post-match focus, however, centred on officiating.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think throughout the season, I\u2019ve been talking to the refs a lot \u2013 part of it is because I\u2019m new \u2013 but I\u2019ve played in basically every league in the world,\u201d Andrews said.<\/p>\n
PERTH, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 17: Andrew Andrews of the Taipans walks from the court during the round 17 NBL match between Cairns Taipans and New Zealand Breakers at RAC Arena, on January 17, 2026, in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane\/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
\u201cThe only thing I ask for as a player is consistency on both ends, and that\u2019s what I haven\u2019t figured out how to gather here.<\/p>\n
\u201cI heard this was a physical league when I got here. It seems to be physical, so my frustrations just come from some of the fouls that I pick up versus some of the things that kind of happen to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Andrews appeared at the press conference with a visible egg on his forehead, a moment that underscored the physicality of the contest and the ongoing discussions between him and Forde throughout the season.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you look at my face, if you look at some of the games, me and Forde kind of joke back and forth and text message, sending pictures,\u201d Andrews said.<\/p>\n
Wildcats hold on against Hawks in Perth | 00:57<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the refs\u2019 point of view \u2013 and even other players and coaches \u2013 it\u2019s a high-emotion game, and refs aren\u2019t perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe refs have the hardest job in basketball. No matter what they call, they\u2019re going to be looked at like they\u2019re wrong, so I get it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Earlier in the season, Forde had raised concerns about Andrews\u2019 reputation among officials, particularly around claims of \u2018flopping\u2019 \u2013 a topic again brought up following Sunday\u2019s loss.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey told Forde they got confirmation from Europe that that was my reputation. I haven\u2019t heard that,\u201d Andrews said.<\/p>\n
Despite the frustrations, Andrews was emphatic about his desire to return to the NBL in the future.<\/p>\n
Source: FOX SPORTS<\/p>\n
\u201cI love the league, I love the play style, I love the teams, the competitiveness. I\u2019ve really enjoyed my time here at Cairns,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo for sure, I will give the league another shot. It\u2019s nothing personal \u2013 we\u2019re playing a game, and within that game you just want consistency.\u201d<\/p>\n
Foxsports.com.au spoke with Andrews\u2019 agent, Darrell Comer, about the reported reputation that has followed Andrews and the lack of interest it has generated among the NBL media.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve never heard anything about Andrew flopping, but if one person happens to say it to another particular person, it becomes a media story,\u201d Comer said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnother person said he is not a point guard, but he surely looks like a heck of a PG this NBL season.\u201d<\/p>\n
Comer believes Andrews is focused on building a long-term future in Australia.<\/p>\n
\u201cAndrew would like to become a mainstay in the Australian market. There will be plenty of time for the referees to get to know him, and hopefully we can stop making this a thing,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Adding to the turbulent night was Forde\u2019s ejection midway through the second quarter. The Taipans coach was hit with two quick technical fouls with 5:08 remaining before halftime following a hard foul on Andrews as he drove to the basket.<\/p>\n
\u201cI said, let me burn this one. Because we\u2019ve talked about this before,\u201d Forde explained.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe one thing I want to be clear about is that I\u2019m trying to back the guys. I said, let me wear this one.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut then it was bang, bang. I was like, okay, well, that\u2019s different.\u201d<\/p>\n
‘Be you bro’ – Goorjian on Noi | 00:48<\/p>\n
Forde admitted this season has been the most difficult of his career from a disciplinary standpoint.<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom a tech standpoint, this is the most techs I\u2019ve ever got in my career,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll I\u2019m looking for is consistency \u2013 that\u2019s all.\u201d<\/p>\n
During the broadcast, Pete Hooley questioned the speed of the ejection.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s having another crack. He\u2019s getting his money\u2019s worth here,\u201d Hooley said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not sure about the back-to-back. One technical I can understand \u2013 he was basically begging for it. But there wasn\u2019t a whole lot in it. He\u2019s just asking them to have a look \u2013 he\u2019s got a player who\u2019s bleeding.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mark Worthington also weighed in.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a really quick ejection. It\u2019s a really fine line we find ourselves in basketball with the emotion of not only coaches but players,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Officiating has been a recurring talking point across the NBL this season, with several high-profile incidents involving coaches and players alike.<\/p>\n
PERTH, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 17: Andrew Andrews of the Taipans holds his head while laying on the court during the round 17 NBL match between Cairns Taipans and New Zealand Breakers at RAC Arena, on January 17, 2026, in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane\/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX ***Source: Getty Images<\/p>\n
New Zealand Breakers coach Petteri Koponen offered a measured perspective when asked about Forde\u2019s dismissal.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs coaches, sometimes we see things differently than referees,\u201d Koponen said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s pretty normal in this job. Adam saw a few things differently and he let them know \u2013 and that was the result.\u201d<\/p>\n
Forde revealed he has stopped seeking clarification from NBL head of officials Scott Butler.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, I\u2019ve stopped. It does nothing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the hardest job in the world and it\u2019s a one-man job in that position. All it does is get me in trouble.<\/p>\n
Kings deflect Bullets to claim win | 00:48<\/p>\n
\u201cToday was a message sent. I get the first one and I walk and I get it straight away. Then I get the second, so I\u2019m going to get my money\u2019s worth on the way out.\u201d<\/p>\n
For the Taipans, it has been a season filled with frustration, and nights like this only deepen the sense that little has gone their way.<\/p>\n
Cairns will now remain in Perth until Thursday ahead of their clash with the Perth Wildcats at RAC Arena.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For the Cairns Taipans, a disappointing loss at HoopsFest was followed by mounting frustration, with head coach Adam…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":421865,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[574],"tags":[64,63,726,85],"class_list":["post-421864","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-basketball","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-basketball","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421864","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=421864"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/421864\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/421865"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=421864"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=421864"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=421864"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}