"Backs against the wall": Forde stands by struggling Snakes

The Cairns Taipans know their backs are against the wall as the 2025-26 Hungry Jack's NBL season heads into Round 6.

Adam Forde's troops sit in eighth with a 2-5 record, after losing their past four fixtures, and possess the lowest net rating (-19.1) in the competition.

Combine that with the fact superstars Jack McVeigh (wrist) and Sam Waardenburg (ankle) are both sidelined with injuries and you can see why coach Forde says his team have a challenge in front of them on Wednesday night, when they host Perth.

"Our backs are against the wall, but I know we have each other's back," Forde said during Wednesday's media availability.

"We got into a bit of a hole last game, but the five guys on the floor and players on the bench stuck together [which I'm proud of]."

While Forde admits slowing the crafty Perth Wildcats superstar Jo Lual-Acuil Jr will be a challenge, he says his team need to concentrate on the offensive end.

"Our shot selection [has been a massive emphasis]," Forde said. "

"We want to make sure we got the right guys taking the shots where we want them to shoot it, to improve our chances of that ball going through the hole. I feel like we did a better job of that last game, but it's important we improve the frequency of wide open shots even more."

Wednesday's Ignite Cup fixture, which will mark Kyle Adnam's 250th NBL game, tips off at 7.30pm AEDT, live on ESPN.