Cameron Tragardh
Hawks veteran Glen Saville reckons former teammate Cam Tragardh is on target to rediscover the scoring form which led Wollongong to the 2010 grand final series.
"Trigger", as Tragardh is known, has breathed new life into his NBL career, scoring 20 points in his debut for Cairns in the season opening 84-72 thrashing of Townsville.
Tragardh departed Wollongong for an ill-fated two-season stint in Melbourne, after his starring role helped the Hawks to within a game of the title.
His experiences on the other side of the court to Saville have been largely miserable, including a 90-68 humiliation at WIN Entertainment Centre last season, where he was benched for much of the game.
When they meet again tomorrow night, Saville is bracing for a backlash in the tropical north.
"Without a doubt [Tragardh] struggled to find his niche at the Tigers," Saville said.
"But he's decided to move on and has a nous for scoring.
"He was fantastic for us the year we made the grand final.
"You can hand the ball to him in there and pretty much guarantee you're going to get a bucket if you don't have everything right at the defensive end.
"He had a great 20 points to start the season off in Townsville, so there is a bit of work for our boys to do at the post."
Tragardh - who scored 28 points when the Hawks levelled the 2010 grand final series against Perth, before losing the decider - was released by Melbourne with a year to run on his contract, after ongoing issues over his future.
He was closely linked with a return to Wollongong, but signed with Cairns following the intervention of Taipans guard Jamar Wilson, who persuaded him to sign.
Saville said stopping Tragardh dominating with the assistance of Wilson is a key to beating the Taipans.
"We're familiar with the way he likes to play and the moves he likes to use," Saville said.
"But he's still pretty tough to stop, we're giving him a lot of respect up there."
The Hawks fly out to Cairns today, brimming with confidence from a three-point victory over Sydney in round one.
At 36, Saville has regained his touch, sitting atop the score sheet in the win over the Kings with 21 points on Friday night.
"I'll take the adulation when people say 'oh Sav, you've wound the clock back'," he said.
"I take that [performance] on board, but I'm not getting too carried away with it, when I want to play at a consistent level."
While the season is only in its infancy, Saville is well aware of the significance of wins on the road.
Three weeks before the 2011 post-season, the Hawks lost to the Taipans when they looked destined to win, the result costing them a place in the finals.
Saville said landing an early blow tomorrow could prove the difference down the track.
"When we lost that one to Cairns at home, it was one of the toughest losses I've had outside of a grand final loss," he said. "I remember Gary Ervin was off to the races for a layup and lost it and Phill Jones hit a three and buried us and clinched the game.
"You can't not take things into consideration even now at such an early stage of the season."