Auckland Tuatara 2026 Sal’s NBL Season Preview

Jadcup Auckland Tuatara 2026 Season Preview

Headline:

Tuatara reload around proven size and scoring as Auckland looks to strike again.

Quick Facts:

Head Coach: Cam Gliddon (2nd year)

Home Venue: Eventfinda Stadium (aka The Sanctuary)

2025 Finish: 10-10 regular season (0-1 elimination final)

Key Returnee: Rob Loe

Key Signing: Sean Bairstow

Player to Watch: Josh Dilling

At a Glance:

The Jadcup Auckland Tuatara head into the 2026 Sal’s NBL season with a strong blend of continuity and change. Last year’s group leaned on waves of high-end talent, with major scoring bursts from a departed import trio that helped keep the Tuatara firmly in the mix, while veterans like Rob Loe and Tom Vodanovich again provided structure, experience and interior presence. This season’s roster shows Auckland building around a familiar local spine, but with fresh backcourt pieces and a slightly different balance to the group. The challenge now is replacing that serious offensive firepower while keeping the size, skill and composure that have made the Tuatara one of the league’s more consistently dangerous teams over the past four seasons.

Auckland Tuatara 2026 Roster as of this printing (New arrivals in bold):

Rob Loe

Sean Bairstow

Josh Dilling

Cooper Lepou

Tom Vodanovich

Zach Riley

Josh Leger

Dylan Wilkie

Josh Wyllie

KC Ioane

Mattie Dalton

Isaac Davidson

Harper Wilson

Noah Duncan

2025 Tuatara Stats Snapshot:

Auckland brings back a meaningful portion of last season’s depth and experience, even though much of the headline production has moved on. Of the returning group, Rob Loe remains a standout despite a dip in production from previous seasons. while Tom Vodanovich added was a solid option on the post and beyond the arc. Zach Riley was a key mid-season pickup and contributed on both sides of the court, while the sharpest returning shooters Dylan Wilkie and Josh Wyllie both hit at a 43% mark from deep in limited opportunities.

The Tuatara were a strong offensive team when their best players were available. While Rob Loe remained one of the competition’s most skilled bigs he did see a statistical impact drop from previous efforts across an injury-hampered season. Auckland had two of the league’s top eight scorers in William Hickey and Luther Muhammad (who replaced Hickey mid season) and their efforts won’t be easily replaced, The turnover of those elite offensive pieces means the returning core does not carry the same volume of production into 2026, but it does provide a strong platform of experience, spacing and frontcourt quality.

Category | 2025 Team Leader | Top Returning Tuatara | 2025 Team / League Rank
Scoring | William Hickey, 27.2 ppg | Rob Loe, 14.2 ppg | 89.4 ppg, 5th
Rebounding | William Hickey, 9.5 rpg | Rob Loe, 8.1 rpg | 41.3 rpg, 4th
Assists | William Hickey, 7.3 apg | Rob Loe, 3.2 apg | 18.0 apg, 5th
Steals | Buay Tuach, 1.3 spg | Rob Loe, 0.9 spg | 7.1 spg, 8th
Blocks | Rob Loe / William Hickey, 1.0 bpg | Rob Loe, 1.0 bpg | 3.2 bpg, 8th
Field Goal % | Noah Rasmussen, 100% | Josh Leger, 58% | 45%, 7th
3-Point % | Dylan Wilkie, 43% | Dylan Wilkie, 43% | 35%, 4th
Free Throw % | Zach Riley, 100% | Zach Riley, 100% | 72%, 6th

2025 Stats League Ranks:

Team Stat | 2025 Numbers | League Rank
Scoring offense | 89.43 ppg | 5th
Scoring defense | 88.90 ppg allowed | 4th
Scoring margin | +0.53 | 5th
Rebounding margin | +1.40 | 4th
Field goal percentage | 45% | 7th
3-point percentage | 35% | 4th
Free throw percentage | 72% | 6th
Assists per game | 18.00 | 5th
Steals per game | 7.14 | 8th
Blocks per game | 3.19 | 8th
Offensive rebounds per game | 9.71 | 8th
Defensive rebounds per game | 31.62 | 2nd
Turnover margin | +0.76 | 5th

Projected Identity:

The 2026 Tuatara look like a team that still has the ability still play through size, skill and experience, but with less one-on-one shot creation than last season’s version. Auckland’s 2025 group could get offence from everywhere as Hickey and Muhammad were elite creators, Tuach attacked with force, Pride offered streaky shooting and Loe and Vodanovich continued to orchestrate from the frontcourt. This year’s announced roster suggests the Tuatara may be built a little more patiently, with Rob Loe and Tom Vodanovich anchoring the interior once again while Sean Bairstow, Isaac Davidson and Josh Dilling bring new decision-making and scoring responsibility to the perimeter. If the fit is right, Auckland should still be difficult to guard because of the spacing and passing their bigs provide. The real question is whether the new perimeter group can replace enough of last season’s top-end creation.

Key Offseason Moves:

Departed:

There will be plenty of scoring opportunities on offer for the 2026 roster after saying goodbye to a talented group of contributors from a season ago. William Hickey led the league in scoring at 27.17 points per game in his short stint, while Luther Muhammad averaged 21.9 points and 6.3 assists as more than capable fill in while Buay Tuach put up 16.3 points per game with aerial flair across 21 appearances. Charles Pride chipped in with 11.5 points and 6.3 rebounds while doing the yeoman-like work in more of a supporting role. That is a huge amount of offensive output to lose, not to mention late-clock creation and transition punch. Auckland still has quality, but the players who drove so much of the perimeter attack in 2025 are mostly departed.

Arrived:

Sean Bairstow stands out as a major new piece. He gives the Tuatara versatility and size on the perimeter, playmaking feel and a different type of wing presence on both ends of the court. Josh Dilling comes in as the 2nd import (with 1 import spot left to fill), and together those two look likely to shoulder much of the creation burden. Isaac Davidson is a notable local addition who gives the roster halfcourt creation, a third ball handler and a proven 3-point threat, while Cooper Lepou, Harper Wilson and Noah Duncan add to the club’s depth and future-focused development mix who should find opportunity in the Rapid League early in the season as they try to work their way into the Sal’s NBL lineup.

Returning:

There is still plenty to work with in the cupboard. Rob Loe remains one of the competition’s premier big men and most accomplished kiwi’s, while Tom Vodanovich gives the Tuatara another proven high-level forward who can score on multiple levels and be a defensive force. Zach Riley will look to be a bigger contributor then he was a season ago when he arrived via sign and trade with the Bulls. Josh Leger and Dylan Wilkie will likely get the first shot at minutes this season but Josh Wyllie, KC Ioane and Mattie Dalton all return after contributing at varying levels last season. That means Auckland retains a fair amount of institutional knowledge and lineup flexibility, even if the very top of the scoring tree has changed dramatically.

X-Factors:

Josh Dilling

Dilling arrives with real responsibility but a resume that is a bit short on professional experience. The Tuatara lost a lot of perimeter shot creation, and he looks like one of the players tasked with replacing it. If he can score efficiently while acting as the floor general the Tuatara will be off on the right foot. But if Dilling doesn’t hit the court running the offensive engine will likely sputter to start the season, a frightening notion in a competitive 2026 Sal’s NBL for any team with post season expectations.

Sean Bairstow

Bairstow feels like the player most likely to define the shape of this team. The Tuatara need backcourt size, ball control and paint attacks, and he looks built to provide all three.But his defensive versatility may be what makes him most valuable to a squad who prided itself on a top four scoring defense a season ago. At 6’8″ he has the size to switch onto interior options successfully but still has the athletic tools to be a perimeter defensive force. If he can offer offensive pop with rim attacks while controlling possession while also giving elite defensive versatility, Auckland’s should hum on both ends of the court.

Dylan Wilkie

Wilkie is the top returning shooter for the Tuatara and his quick trigger from beyond the arc is the type of skillset that can earn court time when hitting consistently. If he can prove to Cam Gliddon and the rest of the coaching staff that his defensive effort is up to par he may position himself as the 6th man bringing instant offensive punch off the bench.

Biggest Question: Can the new perimeter weapons replace all of 2025 departed production?

Auckland’s frontcourt foundation still looks strong, and the returning depth is useful, but the reality is that a huge amount of offensive production has walked out the door. Last season’s Tuatara had multiple players who could take over a game with the ball in hand which eventually became an issue when the defensive glare of finals basketball shone on the squad. This version may need to be a little more connected and a little more methodical if they want to lift the level of efficiency when its needed most. If Bairstow, Dilling and Davidson can fill the scoring and creation gaps quickly, the Tuatara should remain firmly in the playoff mix. If not, there may be stretches where Auckland looks solid without having quite enough punch when its needed most.

What Success Looks Like:

Success for the Tuatara in 2026 looks like staying in the top half of the standings while re-establishing an offensive identity around the new backcourt and the familiar qualities of Rob Loe and Tom Vodanovich. The size, skill and experience are there for Auckland to be competitive most nights. If the new pieces click and the returning shooters give them enough spacing, this still looks like a team that can aim for postseason success with confidence.

Final Word:

The Tuatara head into 2026 with enough continuity to remain dangerous, but enough change to make the season feel like the team is turning the page to a fresh chapter. Auckland still has proven frontcourt class, strong club identity and useful returning depth. Now it comes down to whether the new guards can replace last year’s lost firepower. If they do, the Tuatara will be right back in the thick of the top four with buoyant hopes of a return to the title game.