Sharks eye top-two finish as Timmins returns for Giants clash

Friday, 10 July 2026

Southland Sharks fans are being urged to turn up in droves and pack out ILT Stadium Southland for the team’s final two home games.

Coach Jonathan Yim has made it one of his goals to fill the “Shark Tank” during his coaching tenure in the south, and he hopes it could be achieved before the finals approach.

Their final two home games are their first home matches on a Saturday since they faced the Manawatū Jets back in May.

With a playoff spot already guaranteed, the Sharks need to carry on their winning ways to book a top-two spot and an automatic place in the semifinals of the Sal's National Basketball League.

The Sharks are hoping for plenty of noise against the Nelson Giants on Saturday.

“It was a great pop against the Rams at the end. The crowd got really vocal knowing it was a close game. We have two weekend games left and hopefully we can see two big Southland crowds.

“We just want to be ready to play Nelson this Saturday. It’s a sprint to the finish,” Yim said.

In their last game, they welcomed back American Rylan Jones, and he made an instant impact, while there’s hope among the fans that they might get to see Max Darling for just the third time this year.

“Rylan is a winner. Every level he has played, he has won. He’s great to have,” Yim said.

Sharks captain Sam Timmins is also back after missing the win over the Canterbury Rams due to Tall Blacks commitments.

The Giants might be down towards the bottom of the table, but they have played some good basketball at times and pushed the Sharks in their clash in Nelson earlier in the year.

A couple of added milestones have been reached by Sharks players, with Brayden Inger becoming the fourth person to reach 1000 points in the orange singlet, while Quake Webster became the first from the club to play 50 Rapid League games.

Tip-off is at 7.30pm, with the Rapid League side playing at 6.30pm.