FAB Flournoy has urged his Newcastle Eagles to make the most of Sheffield Sharks’ teething problems.
Flournoy’s Eagles can strike an early blow in the BBL title race if they win in the Sharks’ back yard tonight but with Sheffield’s roster at its strongest in years, it will be no easy task.
GB star Nate Reinking signed over the summer while the club also retained big guns Olu Babalola, Mike Tuck and Justin Dobbins for their tilt at the BBL title.
They have opened up the season with four wins but three of those have been close calls and Flournoy has spotted inconsistencies in their game which he is hoping to exploit at the English Institute of Sport tonight.
“It is a big, big game and it is unusual for such a big game to be played so early. But I’d fancy our chances now rather than down the line,” he said.
“They will have teething problems because they have new players.
“Every team in the league has teething problems but you know with a roster like Sheffield have, sooner or later they are going to click and become a formidable team.
“At this stage of the season it is slightly different, there will be inconsistencies and mistakes will be made, that is inevitable. We know that when they are good they will be very good but when they are bad, they will be bad and we have to make the most of that.
“It is definitely better to play these kinds of games early but of course, it is a massive ask.”
Most of the Eagles’ pre-season preparations have been focused on making sure they are ready for this tricky double header, which concludes with a Sport Central clash in seven days time. Newcastle could live with honours being shared over the two games but know that conceding the head-to-head would make their lives very difficult at such an early stage of the campaign. Flournoy is confident.
“I’m confident in every game and this is absolutely no different,” he said.
“But I’m also fully aware of what they can do. I look through their roster and there is quality in every department. They have signed Nate, who is just a great player, and they have Olu, Dobbins, Tuck and Atiba (Lyons) too. That is not even to begin mentioning their young players, who I have had good reports about.
“They will be a handful for any team they play this season.”
Flournoy is wary of placing too much weight on one fixture but admits it is a key game at such an early stage in the season.
The Sharks opened their season with a defeat of Guildford Heat, just 48 hours after the Eagles had thrashed them at Sports Central.
Reflecting on the consequences of losing the head-to-head, he said: “That is the most important thing, making sure that we don’t lose that.
“It won’t mean everything if we win or lose on Friday but it will be the team that draws first blood and of course that is important to us and it would be important to them. It lays down a marker.”
Flournoy says he is “hopeful” of Charles Smith brushing off a hamstring strain in time to travel to Sheffield.
