Blanchfield requested a release from the heavy-hitting Sydney club in the off-season to pursue bigger opportunities on-court in the NBL.

He eventually landed at the Hawks and has since been quick to show his worth in Illawarra’s starting line-up early in the season.

It’s a role he will likely resume when the Hawks travel to face their arch rivals for the first time this campaign at Qudos Bank Arena.

Blanchfield admits he might cop ‘a bit of flak’ on the night, but says he doesn’t feel the need to prove a point against his former club.

“I thought about it a little bit yesterday and I am excited about it,” Blanchfield said.

“I have got a lot of mates in that club and we obviously didn’t achieve what we wanted to achieve last year.

“They have got a lot of new guys in there as well so it is going to be a real challenge for us.

“We let one slip in Melbourne. After our [slow] start we probably should have got that one.

“Sydney on the road is the same, if not a bigger challenge for us.

“We really can’t afford to have a start like we did in Melbourne. We have to come out and be aggressive.”

The Hawks trailed by as many as 22 points against United on Monday night but had reduced that margin to three midway through the final quarter.

They eventually went down 99-93 to the defending champions.

It saw them slip to 2-3 on the season ahead of their blockbuster match against the Kings.

“This game against Sydney is huge,” Blanchfield said.

“I haven’t really thought about the following weekend [where we face Melbourne and Perth] considering how big it is for us on the weekend.

“The rivalry itself is something all the players and the fans look forward to.

“Up in Sydney, they are probably the red-hot favourites to win the championship so any time you have a real shot at them on their home court is a lot of fun.”

Blanchfield’s performance at both ends of the floor will likely prove key for the Hawks as they look to stage an upset on the road.

He started the campaign in red-hot form, averaging more than 20 points per contest through the first three games.

Those numbers dropped substantially in round three, but the Boomers representative remains upbeat about his form. 

“I definitely still feel confident,” he said.

“I am still shooting the ball after training every day and getting the reps.

“I don’t like leaving the training court unless I feel good about my game in general so I definitely feel confident.

“I am trying to keep that confidence because every time I cross over that white line, I want to be confident in myself and my teammates to have confidence in me.”