Flick the spotlight on and focus the beam on the deep south this week where the SIT Zero Fees Southland Sharks face a huge round in the Sal's NBL with clashes against their two biggest rivals coming up.
Adding to the excitement is the two games feature the current top three teams in the League.
The Sharks have ridden a rollercoaster so far in 2021 but they look to be coming good after a slow start and currently boast four successive wins over the Sky Tower Auckland Huskies, Mike Pero Nelson Giants, Steelformers Taranaki Airs and Property Brokers Manawatu Jets.
Of note, the Sharks have scored 100-plus points in those four wins, a marked increase comapred with the 74 points (average) they put away across their first four games of the season, of which they won just once.
So, in form and scoring at a high rate, the Sharks now face their biggest challenges of the season, starting with a duel on their home deck against the Wellington Saints on Friday night, followed by a short trip north to play the Go Media Otago Nuggets on Saturday night.
Both rivalries are equally fierce. Of course the Sharks and Saints have built a unique rivarly over the last decade that centres largely on winning/sharing championships over that period.
Meanwhile, the Sharks and Nuggets haven't squared-off in a 'Southern Stoush' since 2014, which makes this Saturday night's game an equally hotly-anticipated clash.
No doubt fresh in the minds of Sharks coach Rob Beveridge and his team will be the towelling the Saints handed them just a few weeks ago, a 32-point drubbing that stung badly. How they respond at ILT Stadium Southland will make for excellent viewing on Sky Sport 3 from 7:30pm (Friday).
Beveridge and his team will worry about the Nuggets at about 10:30pm Friday night.
If the Sharks manage two wins they will move to top spot on the ladder and be the most in-form team in the competition.
Over to you Sharks!
