NEW Taipan Ayinde Ubaka is on board.

If the Taipans "hate" Townsville, then point guard Ubaka – who plays his first game in Cairns colours against the Crocs tomorrow – is prepared to be the poster boy for the North’s rivalry.

"I know, Cairns hate Townsville, they told me," Ubaka said of possibly the fiercest rivalry in the NBL.

"So all right, I hate Townsville. I’m up for it. I’m on board here – if we hate Townsville, I’m with them."

Ubaka may have been in a joking mood at training yesterday but he’ll be all business tomorrow when an undermanned Taipans side faces the Crocs at the Bendigo Bank Basketball Centre.

Already without Phill Jones (representative commitments), Ian Crosswhite (quad) and Arizona Reid (hip flexor) for tomorrow’s clash, the Taipans were dealt another blow with Alex Loughton ruled out yesterday.

Loughton made a dash to Perth yesterday after his wife Michelle went into labour with their second child.

"Potentially there’s four starters not here, we’ve got to make up for the slack," Ubaka said.

Ubaka said the Taipans were waiting to be let loose in their first hitout after an intense pre-season campaign.

"We’ve done all these drills, we’re running hard, now it’s time to get out there and see what we’ve got this year," he said.