How to watch & talking points: Cairns v Melbourne

12 Feb 2026

cairns taipans

melbourne united

Melbourne United head north for a crucial Round 21 fixture with the Cairns Taipans.

Cairns Taipans (9th) v Melbourne United (5th)
Friday, February 12, 7.30pm AEDT
Cairns Convention Centre

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Talking points

Pressure applied
Melbourne United have all the pressure in this one as they look to get a much-needed win and try to climb back into the top four.

Unfortunately for them, it won't be easy, as the Cairns Taipans are aiming to finish the season on a high and are playing a fun brand of basketball.

Led by Jack McVeigh, the Taipans would love nothing more than to inflict some more pain on United, much like they did in Bendigo last month.

Offensive woes
Since the beginning of December, Melbourne United have been one of the bottom teams in terms of offensive rating and that's been a major reason for their form dropping off.

The positive for United is that they still have all the same pieces on this team that began the season 9-0, but unfortunately they can't seem to get back to playing their best basketball.

If they drop this game, a potential elimination play-in game against Tasmania awaits.

What they're saying

Taipans coach Adam Forde on finising their home schedule on a high note:
“Momentum is great, the boys know what the process is and what we need to do moving forward. With Reyne back in the lineup, there's help in the backcourt. We weren’t expecting (Smith) back, he’s ahead of his return to play timeline and he was eager to get some minutes and we’re more than happy to accommodate that.”

“We always want to make sure we play well in front of our home crowd. Thursday will be no different.

“Any wins are important. We want to compete and play hard in front of our fans and to finish on a good note is always a positive way to close out the season.”

United coach Dean Vickerman on his team's willingness to fight on Thursday night:
”Every team in the league right now has continued to compete, to either win for their fans or to [gain some momentum] going into next year.

“Cairns is no exception, and they beat us last time we played them, in a really tight game.

“They always have a strong belief that they can compete with anyone when in front of their home fans.

“We know we’re in for a great contest on Thursday, so we’re going to have to fight for every possession.”