Henare back on deck

The New Zealand Breakers will be significantly boosted by the return of foundation player and point guard Paul Henare as they bid for a four-from-four home court record against Cairns on Thursday night.

Henare has been absent for the previous two home fixtures as he supported his five-year-old son Jackson Henare in his recovery from a serious accident.

Tony Ronaldson says Henare - who at one time had played 130 consecutive games for the Breakers - has thrown himself into training this week and the value of his return to the already high-flying squad can't be underestimated.

"We're very pleased to have him back after two weeks. I think he's invaluable for us. The last two games we've played you can really see where Pauly fits into the mould - he can come in and give CJ a bit more of a break," Ronaldson said.

"I think CJ has logged forty five minutes in the last couple of games purely because we haven't had that strength in the point guard position. Phil's (Jones) done an admirable job of filling in but that's not his natural spot."

Ronaldson also said the club is already buzzing at the prospect of their first ever sell-out crowd this Thursday against the Cairns Taipans at the North Shore Events Centre (a near capacity crowd of 3,400 watched the win over Adelaide).

"This can be a really tough place to play. There was a great crowd last week and they really got into it and other teams have to travel a fair way to get here. There's no reason why we can't make North Shore Events Centre a bit of a fortress," he said.

"Anytime that we're selling out that's fantastic, we've got some great players playing here at the moment and I know the front office really tries to create a family atmosphere. I hope we get a lot more sell-outs after this."

And the man now affectionately known as 'The Bear' on both sides of the Tasman said he's personally enjoying a sense of club progression and vitality that was a key component in his decision to shift countries in the 2006 off-season.

"Part of the reason I came here was to try build something and be part of something special and we're by no means there yet but I think the front office along with the team are doing a great job of making the Breakers a force in the NBL and it feels like we're heading in the right direction," he said.