Sport
22 January, 2026
Duo at state U18 titles
BASKETBALLERS Sam Jones and Kobi Teasdale have represented the Shire at Basketball Queensland’s under-18s state championships on the Gold Coast where teams from all over Queensland got the chance to compete for the prestigious Vince Hickey Shield.
The two athletes competed for the Cairns Marlins (division 1) squad.
The rep season for both young men started as per usual, both having strong performances through trials, earning them a spot through into the Marlins’ roster.
While this was nothing new for Mr Teasdale it was a massive achievement for Mr Jones, being his first division 1 selection.
Both players trained hard as their first grading tournament begun, wanting to find some form and solidify themselves as a contender around the state.
Unfortunately for Mr Teasdale, the season wasn’t going to be all smooth sailing with the young prodigy being ruled out for 75% of the season with a stress fracture in his back.
With the first grading tournament quickly approaching the Marlins had no choice but to take it head on without their star player.
Leading to more opportunities Mr Jones found his way into the rotation, getting more consistent minutes and starting to play a pivotal role for the team.
Over the three grading tournaments he saw a vast increase in both his minutes and his production and overall skill development.
After a long hard season the Marlins were prepared for state championships with a fully healthy and loaded squad. Through the pool stage the marlins went 1-4 but losing most games narrowly and playing a very competitive tournament.
Overall, the Marlins finished 10th in the state with the Shire reps taking a lot out of the experience.
This brings the end of both players junior rep careers with the duo happy to have a bit of a rest period before they look to make that next step in their basketball careers both on and off the court.
