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STAYING healthy. Not all that long ago right here somewhere it was reiterated that, apart from putting together a decent team in the first place, the main and often overlooked key ingredient to success was staying healthy.

Look what injuries have done to Wollongong's NBL championship assault after it started the 2012-13 iiNet Championship alongside New Zealand and Perth as a "big three".

Since then, it has lost a "big three" in a trio of starters, Rhys Martin (PG), Lance Hurdle (SG) and Glen Saville (SF) to knee injuries.

After one of the great regular season games of the year, the aftermath for both the Breakers and the Kings was brutal, each losing an import.

Corin Henry's wrist injury rules Sydney's pocket dynamo out for the rest of the season and with six games left, the Kings cannot replace him.

To some extent, they are a fraction lucky though James Harvey has returned and if Aaron Bruce can make the transition from combo guard to more point man, and Luke Martin makes the most of his seconds, the disruption may not be as huge as first presumed.

That's not to say losing Henry is in any way positive. He has been terrific for the club, on and off the court, and will sorely be missed as Sydney fights to figure in top-four calculations.

It's just that guards is an area the Kings have some riches and if coach Shane Heal (a reasonably decent guard himself in his day) can get the most from his backcourters, Sydney stays relevant.

We'll know soon enough, with Jamar Wilson leading Cairns against the Kings in this round.

New Zealand's dream of a threepeat was rocked when import forward Will Hudson went down with a knee in jury in the same thrilling overtime contest.

Initially the Breakers feared Hudson would join the list of ACL sufferers this season but instead he has an MCL tear in his left knee, which is far better news.

It means he will miss between four-to-six weeks and, given there are only six weeks left in the regular season, has Huddo on track to be back come playoff time.

That also is a relief because, like the Kings, New Zealand has just six games left which meant he could not be replaced. (For those who just came in, replacements must play 25% of games, or seven out of the 28.)


YES, the Kings did try for an NBL waiver, given Henry's circumstances ... but Shane Heal will not be allowed to suit up.


THE Batgirl has struck again, claiming the WNBL's Player of the Week honors.

Suzy Batkovic matched her season-high of 27 points, delivering it at 61 per cent, with eight rebounds, a season-best six assists and two steals as Adelaide turned Sydney's Flames into little more than petrol rag Fumes, 98-73.

She also hit 3-of-5 threes and her nine-point second period as Adelaide went 29-15, sealed the deal.

"I am absolutely playing out of my skull right now," Suzy would never say. But I am happy to say it for her.

If Lightning are to genuinely challenge Bendigo and Dandenong for the 2013 crown, Suzy will be the key.


YES it is a further oversight - I'll save the word "disgrace" for another Hall of Fame piece I am working on - James Crawford is not (yet) in the Hall of Fame.

But, to again paraphrase Family Guy's Peter Griffin, it grinds my gears to hear Andrew Gaze says his career was so highly revered, "he doesn't need the recognition because he's that great."

Not suggesting for a millisecond Drewey is not in favor of JC entering the Hall because he is, and I am pretty sure his remark is meant as a compliment.

The only problem is that it isn't a compliment.

When Andrew inducted Ken Cole into the Hall of Fame in December, he said much the same thing during his speech, along the lines of "Ken Cole's career is so great, he probably didn't need this recognition."

Well in that case, who the hell does? Why even have a Hall?

Again, I recognise it was meant as a compliment. But, in fact, it is just a silly thing to say.

Maybe Andrew's career as our greatest homegrown player, Sydney Olympic captain and Games flag-bearer is SO great, he didn't need to be put in the Hall of Fame either. He doesn't need the recognition.

Or why should we have our fingers crossed his father Lindsay is inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield? After all, Lindsay doesn't need the recognition, his career was so great.

That's the whole point of a Hall of Fame, as Andrew well knows. So Drewey, maybe put that "compliment" away. It doesn't make any real sense.


AT LAST! Finally correctly tipped an NBL Player of the Week, but Townsville's Olympic swingman Peter Crawford was a monty after his performance in the Crocs' 111-108 double-overtime victory over arch rival Cairns.

PC had 30 points at 63 per cent, seven rebounds, five assists, a steal and three blocks to set himself apart in the best individual-performance stakes last round.

By the way, for Cairns coach Aaron Fearne, noted as an ultra-defensive-oriented coach - remember preseason concerns this season's Taipans might have shifted focus too heavily to offence? - that marked the first time since he has been at the helm that the Snakes have topped the 100-point barrier.

And on that sobering note, as the season winds towards the post-season, movement on the rankings table hasn't been very noticeable, though that all could change this week when we see how big the losses of Will and Grace-under-pressure are to their respective teams.


NBL Rankings

This Wk ... Prev

8 (8) 36ERS - Can improve ranking by getting Cairns in battle of the lost lineups.

7 (7) TAIPANS - Had it won, lost, won, lost. Losing is a hard habit to break.

6 (5) KINGS - Shocking blow losing King Henry, making Cairns clash crucial.

5 (6) HAWKS - Teams around it now experiencing pain, leaving final four door ajar.

4 (4) CROCS - Perth/Woll double is key to playoff aspirations but a split looming.

3 (3) TIGERS - Lying in wait for Perth, this will test Melbourne's genuine bona fides.

2 (2) WILDCATS - Got past "hoodoo" team but now face tough home/away double.

1 (1) BREAKERS - Almost a road hiccup, now minus Huddo for depleted Hawks. Interesting.


WNBL Rankings

This Wk ... Prev

9 (9) WAVES - Might trouble Caps but can wave another year goodbye in Sydney.

8 (8) THUNDER - May rise for Qld derby but won't have the depth to put out Fire.

7 (7) CAPITALS - Showed heart against Boomers and at best would smack West Coast.

6 (5) FLAMES - Took lumps from Adelaide so will dish some more to West Coast as curtain falls.

5 (6) BOOMERS - Will need a few magic tricks to stop Adelaide.

4 (4) FIRE - Worthy finallists but making up numbers unless they can surprise Spirit.

3 (2) SPIRIT - Belted Caps but will want to send Townsville a message.

2 (3) RANGERS - Finding best at biz end of season, Adelaide a great showdown.

1 (1) LIGHTNING - Finishing in a flurry but Bull-Dan double another real challenge.


THIS WEEK'S TIPS

NEW Zealand plays its first game without Will Hudson against the team which has dealt with the most adveristy this season in Wollongong, putting this within the Hawks' upset range.

Sydney returned to close to its very best last round and anywhere near that should be barely enough to stave off desperate Cairns.

Perth's rivalry with Townsville is a good one, fuelled by the presence of PotW Peter Crawford and another ex-Wildcat Luke Nevill. But winning in the west is too big an ask of the Crocs just now.

One of the two clubs who have lost the ability to win will taste the joy of success once more when Cairns hosts Adelaide, the home-court edge possibly outweighing having to play in Sydney before hosting the 36ers.

So is Melbourne - and whoever else makes up the four - going to truly threaten Perth or New Zealand? Losing Hudson throws the Breakers a curve but if the Tigers are to prosper on merit and not on others' ill fortune, this is a match they need to win. They can, too.

Wollongong hosts Townsville to close out the round and it is a big clash in terms of playoff participation. How they each fare on the road against the iiNet Championship's leading teams before squaring off also will be a factor, physically and emotionally. It's tough to call, the Crocs deep now with Holmes back, the Hawks with more heart than Phar Lap. Coin toss gave me Crocodiles.

THE Last WNBL regular season round definitely will provide finals insight with the top four teams opposed to each other. But before that, West Coast can upset the Caps in Canberra but expect the home team to bring the form it showed against Bulleen and win.

Bulleen needed a last play to beat Canberra and will need a whole game's worth to trouble Adelaide.

It's a derby game when Logan hosts Townsville but with one team depleted and heading for mothballs and the other trying to get a finals roll going, don't expect Thunder to crack it for a win here.

Sydney will rout West Coast, coach Karen Dalton will get another 20-year coaching extension and she will bring in the Brazilian national team to play as "Sydney" next season. Hey, you can never have enough Brazilians.

And so to the two games that matter: second-placed and reigning champion Dandenong hosting third-placed and in-form Adelaide, regular season champion Bendigo at home to fourth-placed Townsville. If the WNBL didn't have the Page Finals System of semi finals, prelim final and Grand, and instead the NBL's 2v3 and 1v4 semi final format, this round would be a direct pre-copy of the playoffs, even down to the venues.

Because no team can alter its playoff position, you might think some "hiding of strategies" may be in order. You would be wrong.

Townsville needs to show it belongs and won't just be making up the numbers so will go flat out. And the Spirit won't want to lose at home, going into finals. Similarly, Dandenong will want to reassert its superiority over Adelaide and Lightning will want to show their win over the Rangers was no fluke. It will be full on in both venues but I'm tipping the home teams to come through.

REY Mysterio, Sin Cara and Kane walk into a bar. The barman looks up from where he is cleaning glasses, stares at them and says: "Is this some kind of inside joke?"