New-look team for Drogheda Wolves’ National League season

With so many changes in personnel it’s like a whole team reset for coach Dave Biggins (pictured right), with just three players from last season back this time.

Some of last year’s squad have gone to other teams, some have relocated and others have committed to full-time college courses, with the rigours of National League travel and training being too much for the time being.

Even so the team have been preparing well, playing in a Superleague pre-season tournament where they acquitted themselves well, seeing off a visiting Malahide side by eight points in a home friendly and taking on Eanna (Superleague) in another tough pre-season game to help tune up the players.

Mark Bodnar from the basketball stronghold of Ukraine is back at point guard and his experience will be crucial in the months ahead.

American Darren Townes, at 6ft 7in, is new to the team, but at 37 years of age is a seasoned pro who knows his way around Irish basketball, having played at Superleague and Division 1 level for more than a decade.

Townes’ on-court savvy is already paying dividends as the team blend together on court.

Almost 20 years younger - at the age of just 18 - is the emerging talent of Max Tyndall who continues to build his playing time as he affects the game more.

The return for the early games at least of Adam Mullally after his year in Spain is an unexpected boost for the team as the Dubliner can post 20-plus points in any game.

The ever-popular Portuguese forward Tiago Pereira is back and he has impressed in pre-season. His friend and compatriot Francisco Dias is a polished talent with great range in his shooting and link play and his addition to the team makes it better already.

Dave Sedano from Spain joins the team as a shooting guard, as does Ben Kelly Flynn who played last season with Carlow IT at National League Division 1 level.

Rafa Martinez is back too, having played the latter end of last season with the team, while Joseph Ballester has also moved up from Wolves’ U18s to join the National League set-up.

The Drogheda team is full of talent and scorers, while if there was an area to strengthen it would probably be in the rebounding department, but head coach Dave Biggins and his assistant Eoin Hallinan will be busy working to sort that out.

Wolves, incidentally, have drawn an away first-round cup match at the end of October against Titans of Galway, and the team will have to deal with a few other long road trips, with two runs to Kerry on the schedule.

On the plus side the team have no league games in Cork this season.

It all adds up to an exciting campaign in prospect and local basketball supporters will get the opportunity to see the team play their first home league game on Saturday week at the usual venue, Ballymakenny College.