The 105-95 victory over Adelaide at Shoalhaven was Penney’s first appearance for the Hawks and he made a seamless transition with 17 points from the bench.

Fellow league MVP Kevin Lisch also picked up 17 points while big man AJ Ogilvy was a powerhouse in the paint picking up 23 points and 14 rebounds.

The Hawks shot at 39 per cent from the perimeter and the addition of sharp-shooter Penney to a roster that already includes Lisch and five-time league leader in three-point percentage Oscar Foreman gives Illawarra a formidable long-range arsenal this season.

Penney won the 2009/10 championship with the Breakers and feels the Hawks have the same potential.

“I like how we play and I like our personnel,” Penney said.

“We’ve got the little bulldogs in Tyson [Demos] and Whitey [Kevin White] and then you’ve got the steady head with Rhys [Martin] there and Kevin can play the point and the two. It’s great to have that depth in that position.

“I thought down the stretch and throughout the game we did a good job of getting AJ involved and one of the biggest things I took out of the game was how good he is down there and how good a target he’s going to be for us.

Across the board it looks like a really good balance and I think the foundation’s definitely there.”