Andrews demands clarity on physicality

All season long, Andrew Andrews has been frustrated by the lack of foul calls he receives.

Cairns Taipans coach Adam Forde has previously pointed to Andrews’ reputation for flopping as the reason.

That frustration finally boiled over at HoopsFest in Perth. Despite trying to contain his emotions throughout the season, Saturday proved a breaking point.

Andrews was attacking the basket when he took a heavy hit to the head from New Zealand Breakers forward Max Darling. The contact went uncalled.

It was the last straw. Andrews’ frustration immediately spilled over after the hit.

Forde stepped in midway through the second quarter, prepared to wear a technical foul to back his point guard. He did not expect what came next.

The Cairns coach was hit with a second technical moments later and ejected in his home town.

“They ask me what do you want me to do and I'm just saying, let me get a tech and now I'm getting tossed out and now I don't do that anymore, so this is where we'll just have to sit here and let the entertainment continue to roll through,” Forde said.

“Today was a message sent and I get the first one and I walk, and then I get (the second) straight away and then I got my money's worth after it, because now I've got two I wanted to get my money's worth on the way out.”

Andrews had already arrived in Perth for Saturday’s game, with Monday’s frustrations still fresh.

Earlier in the week, Brisbane’s Hunter Maldonado attempted 18 free throws, while Cairns as a team went to the line just 12 times.

“I’m pretty calm and I think throughout the season I’ve been talking to the refs a lot and part of that’s because I’m new, but I’ve played around and basically in every league in the world you know what I’m saying,” Andrews said.

“The only thing I ask for as a player is consistency on both ends and that’s what I haven’t figured out how to kinda gather here.

“I heard this was a physical league when I got here and it seems to be physical you know what I’m saying, so my frustrations just come from some of the fouls I pick up versus some of the things that kinda happen to me.

“I’m trying to distinguish where the line gets drawn even like against Melbourne I get hit in the groin and they reviewed it, and no call and then today my first foul on PJC was a pretty soft touch foul.

“I’m still trying to gather how the game is being called and there doesn’t seem to be any consistency on how the game is being called.”