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South East Melbourne v Cairns: Talking points & WATCH LIVE tonight
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Fans can catch the live stream as South East Melbourne Phoenix debut Vrenz Bleijenberg and the Cairns Taipans showcase rising star Alex Higgins-Titsha, with coach Adam Forde back at the helm ahead of NBL26.
It's the South East Melbourne Phoenix taking on Cairns on Tuesday, August 19 at the State Basketball Centre.
Both teams are preparing for their first hit-outs of the Hungry Jack's NBL26 pre-season campaign, with the chance to test their rotations, new faces, and get a feel for just where they're at with around a month until the action begins.
South East Melbourne Phoenix v Cairns Taipans
Tuesday, August 19, 2025 - 6.30pm AEST
State Basketball Centre
Check out some of the key talking points ahead of Tuesday night's game:
Phoenix unveils their new unicorn
NBL fans will get their first look at Vrenz Bleijenberg on Tuesday night, as the 6’10” combo forward hits the floor ready to show a unique skillset that the league hasn’t seen for some time. The Belgian has the size to play down low, but is able to handle the ball like a guard and pass like a floor general, allowing Josh King to use him in a variety of ways. His 1-on-1 game is silky smooth and he should prove to be a tough defensive matchup due to his length and versatility.
Taipans young star set to soar
Alex Higgins-Titsha is preparing for yet another leap in NBL26, fresh off what has been a whirlwind calendar year. After working his way into Adam Forde’s starting unit as a development player last season, Higgins-Titsha found himself at the Golden State Warriors mini-camp, then onto the 3x3 World Cup and finally part of the Warriors Summer League roster. His game is growing in confidence and with another year under Forde, expect this young star to emerge as a serious Most Improved Player contender.
Adam Forde returns
At the end of last season, it looked as if the Taipans biggest change would be in their head coach position. Fast forward to today and Adam Forde is back in control of arguably their most exciting roster yet. He spoke last week about how the direction the club was moving in was something that he felt compelled to be part of, which helped his decision to return as the man in charge. While he is still awaiting his big pieces to arrive for pre-season, there’s plenty of reasons to believe this Cairns team under his coaching will be there at the business end in March.
