Hawks left wondering what could have been

19 Feb 2026

illawarra hawks

Justin Tatum outlines Illawarra’s returning core and why a strong finish to NBL26 fuels belief for a bigger NBL27 campaign.

While the Illawarra Hawks’ NBL25 championship defence is officially over, the club will take momentum into next campaign following their strong end to this season.

The Hawks, who finished with a 13-20 record, ended the Hungry Jack’s 2025-26 with back-to-back wins against Melbourne and Tasmania.

The latter came on Wednesday night by 33 points at MyState Bank Arena, concluding what coach Justin Tatum called a 'frustrating' season.

“It's a strange feeling [that the season is over], but we just came up a couple of games short this year of playing Finals,” Tatum said in Wednesday’s post-game press conference.

“I still had an enjoyable season, I love my guys and they showed true professionalism the whole way and our fans were always behind us.

“I'm extremely proud of how we finished with these two road games and it shows how good we can be when healthy and this is the healthiest we've been all year.

"I'm a little frustrated why they couldn't play like this a month ago, but I'm just happy to see my players finish the season enjoying themselves and figuring it out.

“You never want to finish any season on a bad note, especially with so many guys coming back.

“The guys returning are already talking about how to get ready for next season and to improve to get back to where we want to be.”

As Tatum explains, the Hawks are already making plans for the NBL27 season, with Sam Froling, Daniel Grida, Mason Peatling, Will Hickey and Todd Blanchfield under contract.

There are also options on Tyler Harvey, Wani Swaka Lo Buluk, Harry Froling, Johny Narkle and Bowali Bayles, meaning the majority of the Hawks' core is returning for next season, along with coach Tatum.

“This was just a little hiccup this season and I have to learn from our mistakes to get back to giving ourselves a chance,” Tatum said.

“I have a lot of respect for this league and I'm contracted, so there's no question I'm coming back.”

The NBL26 season resumes on Thursday night with a double-header on ESPN, starting with New Zealand and Cairns at 5.30pm AEDT before the 32nd Throwdown at 7.30pm AEDT.