{"id":489757,"date":"2026-02-19T08:50:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T08:50:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/489757\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T08:50:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T08:50:09","slug":"hawks-left-wondering-what-could-have-been","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/489757\/","title":{"rendered":"Hawks left wondering what could have been"},"content":{"rendered":"

While the Illawarra Hawks\u2019 NBL25 championship defence is officially over, the club will take momentum into next campaign following their strong end to this season.<\/p>\n

The Hawks, who finished with a 13-20 record, ended the Hungry Jack\u2019s 2025-26 with back-to-back wins against Melbourne and Tasmania.<\/p>\n

The latter came on Wednesday night by 33 points at MyState Bank Arena, concluding what coach Justin Tatum called a ‘frustrating’ season.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s a strange feeling [that the season is over], but we just came up a couple of games short this year of playing Finals,\u201d Tatum said in Wednesday\u2019s post-game press conference.<\/p>\n

\u201cI still had an enjoyable season, I love my guys and they showed true professionalism the whole way and our fans were always behind us.<\/p>\n

\u201cI’m extremely proud of how we finished with these two road games and it shows how good we can be when healthy and this is the healthiest we’ve been all year.<\/p>\n

“I’m a little frustrated why they couldn’t play like this a month ago, but I’m just happy to see my players finish the season enjoying themselves and figuring it out.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou never want to finish any season on a bad note, especially with so many guys coming back.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe guys returning are already talking about how to get ready for next season and to improve to get back to where we want to be.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

As Tatum explains, the Hawks are already making plans for the NBL27 season, with Sam Froling, Daniel Grida, Mason Peatling, Will Hickey and Todd Blanchfield under contract.<\/p>\n

There are also options on Tyler Harvey, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, Harry Froling, Johny Narkle and Bowali Bayles, meaning the majority of the Hawks’ core is returning for next season, along with coach Tatum.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was just a little hiccup this season and I have to learn from our mistakes to get back to giving ourselves a chance,\u201d Tatum said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have a lot of respect for this league and I’m contracted, so there’s no question I’m coming back.\u201d<\/p>\n

The NBL26 season resumes on Thursday night with a double-header on ESPN, starting with New Zealand and Cairns at 5.30pm AEDT before the 32nd Throwdown at 7.30pm AEDT.<\/p>\n

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