Southland Sharks coach shocked by six-game losing streak
“I’m really frustrated, and I don’t think we are as bad as the six-game, hopefully not seven-game, losing snap to finish the season with.
Southland Sharks coach Guy Molloy says there’s been “positive” discussions around returning next year as he hopes to fix what has been a nightmare end of the 2023 season.
The Sharks are out of playoff contention and will finish its 2023 National Basketball League campaign against the Nelson Giants in Nelson on Sunday.
Southland hasn’t won a game since its 116-79 June 5 win over the Otago Nuggets.
The Sharks have lost six games on the trot and it will become seven if they are unsuccessful against the Giants on Sunday.
Molloy missed two of those losses because he was away on international coaching duties with the Tall Ferns.
He admits the mood within the team was dour when he returned, given Southland’s top six playoff hopes had slipped from its grasp.
Molloy said he’s struggling to pinpoint where things have come unstuck over the last five weeks.
“If you had told me that [Nuggets game] would have been our last win, or at least our last win for some time, I would never have believed you.
“I honestly can not put my finger on it… Look, I know it was an impact me not being here for a couple of games, but the boys played well against the Airs in Taranaki and then just shot themselves in the foot late.
“I thought we completely outplayed the Tuatara in Auckland to be 10 up going into the final quarter and just made a bunch of silly turnovers.
“I’m really frustrated, and I don’t think we are as bad as the six-game, hopefully not seven-game, losing snap to finish the season with.
“I just did not see this coming at all. I’m pretty disappointed, to be honest.”
Molloy is in talks with the Southland Sharks organisation about returning for another shot at the helm in 2024.
“I’m just working through it with the club at the moment. As it sits, we are in pretty positive territory about making it happen. We are just going through some final details.
“I really like the club and enjoy the club and I’m really disappointed I haven't been able to make a competitive difference through this season.
“It’s too late now and we’ve just got to learn from that and remember the lessons so we can get back to winning ways.”
Molloy has got a big job ahead of him getting the Sharks up to beat the Giants and finish the 2023 campaign on a high note.
“I’ve got to say when I came back, when the playoffs were all but gone, it was a dour mood last week,” he said.
“The thing we’ve been talking about is it’s a privilege, not a right to don the Sharks singlet.
“We’ve got to have the perspective that every game is important and play with the energy and excitement like its game one of the season.
“I really felt the mood [was low] when I came back so it’s up to me to try and generate the energy and enthusiasm again to say, ‘look we’ve got a bigger responsibility here’.”
Sunday’s game against the Giants will tip-off at 4pm.