NBL expert's concern for 'disappointing' Breakers

Monday, October 6, 2025

NBL expert Derek Rucker says the New Zealand Breakers 'look limp' after falling to 0-4 this season.

They might only be three rounds and four games into their Hungry Jack's NBL26 campaign, but one NBL expert has serious concerns about the New Zealand Breakers.

During Monday's episode of Moments That Mattered, NBL expert Derek Rucker expressed his worry about Petteri Koponen's troops, who fell to 0-4 on the season after Saturday's loss to Sydney.

"They [the Breakers] just look limp and that's weird to say because Parker Jackson-Cartwright has done such a great job leading that franchise on the floor," Rucker said on this week's episode of Moments That Mattered.

"It doesn't look like they have any semblance of strength, it doesn't look like they have any basketball authority in game.

"Is it coaching, is it scheme, is it lack of talent? Right now, I think it's a bit of everything.

"I think [their turnaround] needs to start on the defensive end — effort, intensity, everything must be raised because it just looks really flimsy [right now].

"It was a disappointing watch in Sydney."

This is a far cry from the Breakers side we all saw at the 2025 CODE Sports NBL Blitz, where the Breakers were crowned champions for the first time and guard Izaiah Brockington named the Ray Borner MVP medallist, after averaging 20 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 2.5 steals per game in Canberra.

As such, Rucker, the 1990 NBL MVP, has called for the Breakers to follow in the footsteps of the recently crowned NRL premiers.

"The Brisbane Broncos won the NRL premiership last night and one of the things their coach [Michael McGuire] did was put them in a bootcamp early in the pre-season and it was an old-school measure and something that drew a lot of criticism," Rucker said.

"I think the Breakers need a mini-bootcamp, like a 36-hour hit-out to bond, to go through tough times together and to stimulate their desire to want to compete and get out there and do hard stuff required to win basketball games."

The Breakers will look to end their four-game losing streak on Sunday, when they host South East Melbourne from 2.30pm AEDT at Spark Arena.

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