"We're ready": Rivals prepare for grudge match

Wednesday, November 13, 2024

"At the end of the day, they will come here ready, and I'm ready. We're all ready."

When Illawarra's Will Hickey said the Sydney Kings were 'sulking' after the teams' last matchup, he lit a fuse that will be reignited on Saturday night in Wollongong.

The Hawks host the Kings in the Freeway Series rematch, after defeating their rivals by seven points in Round 2.

It was a game that highlighted Illawarra's incredible rise from cellar-dweller to legitimate contenders, and Hickey had some fierce commentary at the time.

“I feel like we’re still not getting our respect. We’re not standing for that anymore,” Hickey told The Illawarra Mercury.

“Two years ago we were 3-25 and [the Kings] hit sleeping celebrations on us.

“At the end of the day we are going to enjoy this so they can sit there and sulk all they want [and] make excuses but at the end of the day we’re up 3-0 - let them sit there with it.”

Two months have gone by since then, and both teams have had mixed fortunes. The Hawks are third after dropping three of their last four games, while Sydney, just about everyone's pre-season championship favourites, is fifth.

In such a competitive battle for the top six, every game is vital, but for the Hawks and Kings, this one has extra significance.

"I'm ready. At the end of the day, they will come here ready, and I'm ready. We're all ready. Whatever goes down, goes down, but don't get it twisted, we're not lying down," Hickey said on Tuesday.

"This game will test how we respond and depending on how we respond to this, it will tell us where we're at and who we are as a team."

Illawarra has won its last three games against Sydney, after a streak of eight straight losses previous to that.

Can Justin Tatum get his team back on the winners' list? Or will Brian Goorjian and the Kings make it three straight?

Watch Illawarra take on Sydney on Saturday at 8pm AEDT, live on ESPN.