2024 Position: 13-7 (4th place)
Head Coach: Sebastian Gleim (2nd season)
Departed: Dom Kelman-Poto (Airs), Sam Timmins (Sharks), Dru-Leo Leusogi-Ape, Isaac Davidson (Europe), Darrell Brantley (import), Luther Muhammad (import), Joshua Scott (import), Lee Skinner (import), Liam Davis
Incoming: Flynn Cameron (Airs), Tobias Cameron (Airs), Till Gloger (import), Naquante Hardy (import), Zion Anderson (Whai), Marcel Jones, Payton Hughes, Jaxson Macfarlane, Harry Kelso
Predicted Starters: Flynn Cameron, Naquante Hardy, Ethan Rusbatch, Import Forward, Till Gloger.
X-Factor: Flynn Cameron
Watch For: Till Gloger
Wanted Headline: Beware The Stampede, Bulls Charge To Championship
Unwanted Headline: Bulls Put Out To Pasture
The Straight Shot
The Logik Franklin Bulls are another team to undergo significant change during the off-season, but the good news is that for the first time since the team's inception in 2020, they are sticking with the same coach. Sebastian Gleim led his team as far as a Semi Final last season, a good finish overall, but deep down you sense Gleim and Bulls fans thought they were at least capable of reaching the Grand Final.
The last few months have been productive at the Stockyard with the prized signatures of brothers Flynn and Tobias Cameron secured, a great outcome given the rumoured number of rival teams also chasing Cameron Brothers Inc.
And while Ethan Rusbatch and a plethora of young locals return, the losses include some tall timber with both Sam Timmins and Dom Kelman-Poto joining new teams, while there is no word yet of whether or not Isaac Davidson will be back from Europe (but if he does return it is hard to see him playing anywhere but the Bulls) or Dru-Leo Leusogi-Ape.
Some of the biggest moves have been with imports - new faces include German Till Gloger and American Naquante Hardy - and a third and final import spot remains unfilled. Did we hear you ask if Luther Muhammad was returning?
It always feels like the Bulls play with a chip on their shoulder, an us-against-them mentality if you like, and in the most part it seems to work. However, we all know (and respect) that top-end talent is a must, so don't be surprised if the Bulls have a couple of surprises up their sleeve because the current roster still looks to be short a couple of key pieces.
Interestingly, 39-year-old Marcel Jones has signed and could play some significant minutes early in the season while the Bulls wait for the arrival of a few players. At the other end of the age-scale is 19-yeat-old Christian Vano, whose Westside Blitz form suggest he could be a young player to watch.
For all the changes, question is whether or not this Bulls team is better than the one we saw in 2024? It's a good debate and this jury is still out.
What Our Experts Say
Casey Frank: The Bulls were a solid squad a season ago, but as solid the foundation the squad struggled to match fellow championship chasers things could get a bit more difficult as evidenced by an 0-5 record V Taranaki and Auckland, but the silver lining on that cloud is that they were one of two teams to score a victory against the champs and the only team to beat the Rams twice (2-0) showing that they were swimming in that championship pool. A new season brings a revamped roster, one that swaps out kiwi bigs for kiwi guards, with Flynn and Tobias Cameron bringing a new level of depth, scoring and perhaps most importantly defensive intensity to the Bulls perimeter game. The presence on the interior diminishes with the loss of Sam Timmins and DKP, but the plan is big German Till Gloger will be able to make up the deficit and hold fort, mostly on his own as just two other players top 2 metres in height. With all the roster flux this is a squad that may need time to gel, and that is after getting their full strength squad together, but taken as a whole this looks to me to be a more consistent team whose floor has raised while the ceiling has dropped. I expect this team to be right around the Final 6 mix but questions on the interior will need to be answered before this squad raises any higher on my scout.
Justin Nelson: I like Sebastian Gleim’s brand of basketball - intense and in your face, with offences designed to get the ball in the hands of his scorers. It worked last season as the Bulls ran deep into the playoffs off the back of Luther Muhammad,, but I’m concerned about the loss of Timmins and Kelman-Poto and the hole they leave inside the paint. The addition of the Cameron brothers will work and I think they will enjoy Gleim’s system, while German centre Till Golger clearly comes to the Stockyard having impressed his German coach previously so keep an eye on him. Overall a lot needs to go right for the Bulls to run with the top few teams. Great to see the roster filled with so many local youngsters, it will help for the future, but will it be enough here and now? I’m on the fence with the Bulls and think they will finish somewhere between 5-8 depending on injuries and whether or not they can add a big name and/or an elite third import in the weeks ahead.
