Roth happy for Tasmania after massive week

As the Tasmania JackJumpers remain on the road for the resumption of NBL26, coach Scott Roth reflected on what was a monumental week for sport in the state with launch of Tasmania Jewels and successful vote for the Tasmania Devils.

Before the JackJumpers returned to NBL action on Saturday in Auckland following the FIBA break where the World Cup qualifiers saw Ben Ayre and Josh Bannan playing with the Australian Boomers there was plenty going on in Tasmanian sport.

First up was the official launch of the Tasmania Jewels with their name, logo and identity ahead of entering the WNBL for the 2026/27 season before the vote went in the favour of the new stadium to be built to allow the Tasmania Devils to enter the AFL in 2028.

That meant that it was a massive week all-round and having been such a key part of the JackJumpers being the first team up and running, Roth is proud to see the Jewels and Devils now on track to follow suit in Tasmania.

"This might have been the biggest sporting week in Tasmania with the announcement of that team coming in with the WNBL and having Alanna Smith with us there to launch that franchise, which everyone has been dying on the island to have," Roth said.

"Then especially as much as I travel around and do a lot of other things than coach around Tasmania, the kids are excited about that and it gives the females a pathway so there's a lot of excitement around that.

"And then during the week obviously the vote transpired with the Devils coming in so it's been a big week in general for sports in Tasmania, and it just creates a buzz down there on the island and it's all good."

The JackJumpers resumed their NBL season on Saturday against the New Zealand Breakers at Spark Arena but got off to a slow start with the home team leading 16-5 early and 28-14 by the end of the first quarter.

Tasmania did show their trademark grit to make a game of it and were back within a point in the second quarter, and again by six early in the fourth, but they couldn’t quite make up the deficit.

Will Magnay showed he's back to full health with 18 points, seven rebounds and four blocks in 30 minutes with David Johnson also getting through another 28 minutes as he works back from a calf injury.

He scored the JackJumpers' first five points of the game on his way to finishing with 10 with three rebounds, two assists and two steals on 4/13 shooting with Roth looking forward to getting back to his best to give Tasmania that must needed offensive firepower.

"Most of our guys are feeling relatively good and David Johnson's probably the one that's still a week or two behind just with the soreness having not played for nine or 10 weeks, and then we tried to monitor him over the break and not over do it with him," Roth said.

"That calf thing is dangerous and he needs game reps like he got in this game and hopefully quicker than later he can round back into some shape because he's a factor for us."

The JackJumpers now remain on the road to play in Traralgon at the Gippsland Regional Indoor Sports Stadium for the first time in regional Victoria on Wednesday.

Roth isn’t quite sure where it is and has certainly never been there, but is just looking forward for the chance for the JackJumpers to bounce back against a South East Melbourne Phoenix team fresh off beating Melbourne United on Sunday to consolidate their hold on third position.

"Well, one I have no idea where that is other than we land in Melbourne and go somewhere for a couple of hours in a car so I couldn’t even tell you where that is to be honest with you," Roth said.

"I've never been there, but we got back home and started to work on Phoenix on Monday and Tuesday before heading there, but to be honest with you I don’t know where that is yet."