Basketball: Trouble for Breakers

The Breakers' problems continue unabated, with Rich Melzer admitted to hospital this week to have a badly infected knee drained.

Melzer tore the knee in a fall at Trusts Stadium last month.

He will be out for several weeks and the Breakers have a waiver to allow them to sign another import until Melzer comes good.

Step up Casey Frank. Coach Andrej Lemanis is confident Frank will be of more value to the team in coming games as he gets the hang of the systems. He was called in to the game against Brisbane on Sunday just hours before tip-off and looked lost at times. But his assists ratio was high and Lemanis was impressed with the little court time he had - his confusion on defence was no worse than some of the others who have been there longer.

Frank will become more valuable to the team if he can gain residency and side-step the import rule. Meanwhile, the Breakers are looking for another forward and may soon be looking for a guard.

Scans of Clifton Bush's back injury put him in doubt for several weeks, possibly for the season. Forward A.J. Majstrovich has bruising of the knee bone and will be out for an undetermined time.

The Breakers made a second approach to Tall Black Brendon Polyblank, who had rejected their advances earlier in the year while he aimed for a deal in Europe.

But as talks opened, Polyblank got an offer in Switzerland and he has signed to go immediately.

The Breakers play their first game at the new Manukau Events Centre on Saturday night against the Sydney Kings. They have beaten the title-holders only once in seven encounters.