Hawks provide Froling update

Star Illawarra Hawks big man Sam Froling faces a long stint on the sidelines with an Achilles injury, with coach Justin Tatum revealing “we hope he will be back in 2026 sometime”. 

Froling succumbed to the injury during the second quarter of Game 4 of the Championship Series, and looks likely to not only miss Sunday’s title decider, but also a chunk of next season.

"About Sam, he will potentially look to have surgery sometime at the end of next week. He will be done for the remainder of this season,” Tatum told the Illawarra Mercury.

"As everybody knows, Achilles takes a long time (to recover), so there's no dedicated time ... but we hope he will be back in 2026 sometime."

Froling had a standout campaign, making the All-NBL Second Team and establishing himself as one of the competition’s premier players. 

The Achilles issue adds another layer to Froling’s future, as he is poised to hit the free agency market as one of the hottest properties available.  

Tatum made it clear he hopes Froling’s recovery time won’t impact his contract negotiations.

"I hope it doesn't mess it around too much. Teams and us, in general, know how valuable Sam is and how great he's going to be and has been, so I hope it doesn't make too much of a difference, but this is a business, and stuff happens,” Tatum said.

"I'm pushing for Sam, even if it was two Achilles torn. I love Sam to death. I know how valuable he is. I know the work ethic he has to get back to play at 100 per cent."

Illawarra and Melbourne United clash on Sunday at 2:30pm AEDT live on ESPN and Channel 10 to decide the NBL champions.