Ever heard of a ‘cleanout’ in the world of sport? You know, where a team gets a broom and sweeps through its organisation between one season and the next? Well, look it up and you might just find the Jets logo looking back at you.
2024 Position: 1-19 record, last place on the ladder
Head Coach: Tony Webster (1st season)
Departed: Coach Natu Taufale (Sky commentary team), Liam Judd (Giants), Lachlan Crate (Giants), James Moors, Simon Lafaele (Melbourne), Tyrell Harrison, Jackson Stent, Campbell Scott (Hawks), Josh Tutagalevao, Lukah Richards (Saints), Mustapha Heron, Troy Baxter Jr, Jonty Kells, Quashawn Lane, Jahlil Whitney.
Incoming: Coach Tony Webster, Corey Webster (Tuatara), Dion Collins, Kenny Goins (import), Makhel Mitchell (import), Miles Gibson (import), Tautoko Wynyard, Tyson Thata-Paese (Saints), Tinashe Matambanadzo, Mathew Foss.
Predicted Starters: Corey Webster, Dontae Russo-Nance, Miles Gibson (imp), Kenny Goins (imp), Makhel Mitchell (imp).
X-Factor: Corey Webster
Watch For: Dontae Russo-Nance
Wanted Headline: Tai Webster Joins The Family Business In Palmy
Unwanted Headline: Another Wooden Spoon For Win(g)less Jets
The Straight Shot
Following a 1-19 record in 2024, the Property Brokers Manawatū Jets have pressed the reset button on former Head Coach Natu Taufale's rebuilding plan after it failed to get out of the foundation stages by refocusing on top tier talent from outside of the region to replenish their coffers.
The changes from season 2024 to the fast-approaching 2025 season have been profound in Palmerston North. The remnants of what and who existed under Coach Taufale are few, the previous roster has either been snapped up by other teams or has been let go with incoming coach Tony Webster wasting no time in building a fresh and exciting squad that looks like it will pack a punch.
Make no mistake, this is an organisation that has said goodbye to the past at warp speed - the broom was big and it was wide.
Every year the season starts with the Jets being tagged as a team that could pack some punch, but alas we are often left with a team trying to box its way out of a corner almost from the get-go and avoid the wooden spoon down the stretch of the season, which unfortunately has landed in their lap way too many times over the years.
And while the performances have again been lacking in recent times, a dose of bad luck is seemingly never far from the Jets either - last year the team’s import point guard (Jasper Rentoy) went down with a season-ending injury barely a handful of minutes into game one - not exactly the fresh start they were looking for.
Then there was a falling out with another import (Troy Baxter Jr) which left a few scars, while the late arrival of star Kiwi big man James Moors wasn’t ideal. The 2024 version of the Jets was one that in frequently showed glimpses, but ultimately spluttered consistently.
So, with another season of woe, the broom came out and not too many were missed as it swept through the organisation – coach gone, almost all players gone, and even the general manager was moved on.
What we have in front of us for 2025 is Coach Tony Webster, a noted basketball lifer and a leader with a sound mind for the game and the Sal’s NBL competition, along with the respect that deservedly goes with his position as a past player and a father to mercurial brothers Corey and Tai. And it looks like his recruiting for this year has been strong and accomplished – on paper (so far) it's a job well done, but games of basketball aren't won on paper.
Favourably, for all their hiccups on the court over the years, the Jets continue to attract one of the competition’s most passionate fan bases – the green machine of Palmerston North is a parochial fan base many other teams would love to replicate, but this is also a group that has waited patiently for success and needs to now see some results on the hardwood.
Step one this season is to make Fly Palmy Arena a fortress. No more close losses or commendable efforts that fell just short. No, that near-enough-is-good-enough rot needs to immediately stop and make way for a team that is always hungry, and hell bent on hunting every opponent without any mercy shown.
This is not only a commendable roster, but it is one capable of playoffs if they can all get on the same page and win enough games at home, while some road wins will come in handy, too.
Imports Makhel Mitchell (6’10”), Kenny Goins (6’8”) and Miles Gibson (6’6”) represent a changing of the guard, a bigger combo of internationals to support Russo-Nance and Webster who will be the team’s primary ball carriers. Across nearly every facet of the game the Jets will be seeking improvement and hoping their starting unit can rebound more, score more, score more efficiently, and not give possession up easily.
If the imports are up to the required level, the Jets have a starting line-up akin to Top Gun fighter pilots.
However, given the likes of Liam Judd, Lachlan Crate, Simon Lafaele and Campbell Scott have moved on, the Jets will need their starters to say healthy and play big minutes, and we all know both Webster and Russo-Nance have dealt with their fair share of niggles in recent years.
The Jets will be hoping some new emerging faces can hold their own. Youngsters Tyson Thata-Paese and Tautoko Wynyard will relish greater opportunity, while it’s good to see the return of Tinashe Matambanadzo to the Sal’s NBL.
Put simply – stay healthy, win at home and hope the import trio can hold their own and the Jets will be on the verge of playoffs basketball for the first time since the 2020 Showdown.
Predictions
Justin Nelson: Great to see this year’s previews are starting with arguably the toughest team of all to predict. Every year the Jets offer plenty, but invariably liftoff is thwarted, and the aircraft has to return to the hanger for repairs. However, a new coach brings fresh ideas, and the recruiting looks solid, plus Corey Webster will bring plenty of x-factor. I also like the signing of Dontae Russo-Nance, who after some injury-riddled seasons needs to make 2025 his launch pad into bigger and better things. The import trio is always a question at Fly Palmy Arena, but if Coach Webster has nailed the import recruiting, then this is a team that will be right on the cusp of the top 6. My worry is the supporting cast – losing Judd, Crate, Lafaele and Scott could diminish the team’s depth, though it does hand over opportunity to a new batch. I think the Jets will be in the mix, and I fully expect them to avoid the wooden spoon - this is no longer an organisation that will accept such unwanted achievements. As good as Corey Webster has been over the years, I sense the keys to this green machine could be handed over to Russo-Nance and if he can steer this thing around the circuit, it could be fun to watch. Outside of an expected lift on the court, the one thing I want to see more than anything is a full house at Fly Palmy Arena (sold out) because the Jets arguably have the most passionate fans in the Sal's NBL.
Casey Frank: The 5-year plan stalled out at the foundation stage and a lack of offensive punch brought a new set of plans to the drafting table to go along with fresh faces across the sideline. The change starts with coach as Tony Webster makes his way to Palmerston North in a return to the Sal's NBL sidelines. The change continued on the roster as we see a nearly totally revamped squad led by recent Tall Black Centurion Corey Webster, who at 36 comes into the year as arguably the premiere scorer in the competition and will look to give the squad the scoring punch it lacked when games were tight a season ago. Dontae Russo-Nance looks to finally unleash his game on the league as the lure of playing with his defacto big brother will see him don Jets green. The 20-year-old looking to turn lessons learned during 2-year apprenticeship with the Perth Wildcats into a full season of competition. The Jets import Trio let them down a season ago with injuries and late arrival effectively ended the Jets finals early in the season, this year's group won't be expected to carry as heavy a scoring load to find success, but their production will, and availability may be more important than the scoring that the backcourt is going to provide. The reserves of this squad are yet to form but when looking at the starting five I see a team that will be able to execute in the half court late in games when it matters most which should lead to a climb up off the last rung of the ladder. How far will that climb be? Tough to say for now but I see the Jets being in the mix for the playoffs.
Photo Credit: Stepney Sports Photography
