'Belief never wavered': JackJumpers eye strong Finals charge

Injuries have haunted the Tasmania JackJumpers for much of the Hungry Jack’s NBL26 Season, but finally it looks as though things are starting to turn.

Star import David Johnson was back for the first time in two months on Friday, and Will Magnay made his first appearance in more than a fortnight on Sunday.

Majok Deng has now been back for the best part of a month following a hamstring injury, while Anthony Drmic is set to return from his back injury in December.

After six straight losses, was a 23-point win over Sydney the turning point for Scott Roth and his team?

“I told them I am extremely proud of them. Our guys just show up,” Roth said post-game.

“There is no complaining about what is going on. They just show up and do their jobs and they are all about each other. That recipe usually helps you down the road when you have tough times we were going through trying to find our way in some areas.

“One game did not solve everything, but it gives you a glimpse of what we thought the roster might look like moving into the season.

“We will take it and build off the last few games. We have had really good moments, we just had a bunch of lapses.

“Today was hard. It was hard to play with a 20-point lead coming out of that second half. It is always hard to do that against a team that was sitting here waiting for us. It is a good way to finish before the break.”

Roth said he never lost belief in his players, even after an uncharacteristic run of defeats at home. The JackJumpers had lost six of seven games in Tasmania before Sunday’s win against Sydney.

“For us it is about trying to hit the repeat button and do the simple things over and over to build confidence and belief in what we are doing,” he said.

“We have our moments and there is a lot still to fix, but we have to believe that if we keep doing the things we have been preaching for the last few weeks, and they are starting to come to fruition, then that builds belief and trust.

“This is the first time in a long time that we actually had our entire roster in the building. Having Drmic back was big. He is an energy-giver we have been missing. Having everyone in the locker room for the first time in a long time was really nice.”

Roth believes the best is still to come from Johnson, who now has two games under his belt following a calf injury, while Magnay overcame a significant test on his bruised knee.

The championship coach was also full of praise for Ben Ayre, praising his "energy" and "passion" since joining the club.

Ayre said he and his teammates had great confidence in turning around a difficult patch of form.

“We have an amazing group. Everyone gets along. The biggest thing over the last few games is no one has had their head down,” he said.

“We come in every day, get back to work, and support each other. The coaching staff has not wavered. We put a game plan together and try to get a win.

“From the outside it looks like a six game losing streak, and tonight is a great way to break it, but inside the locker room we have stayed consistent. We just get back to work.”