The Hawks ended their season with a 34-point loss to New Zealand on Thursday night seven days after dropping out of finals contention with an overtime loss to Brisbane.

The Mercury understands the disappointing end to the season came amid payroll issues that saw players and staff not receive all their super entitlements.

The matter drew the attention of the NBL, the players' association and the ATO before being resolved, with players and staff to be paid out their entitlements.

The issue is reportedly a carryover from previous ownership but has prompted fears about broader financial insecurity at the club and it's future in the NBL.

While the club will meet it's financial commitments for the current season there remains a substantial debt to the NBL, though not one that threatens the club's immediate future. 

In a statement released on Friday Campbell did not address the player payments issue, but gave a broader reassurance about the club's future.

“Contrary to speculation on social media, the Illawarra Hawks would like to assure all its fans and partners that the club is in a strong position on and off the court and enjoyed positive growth over the season," the statement read.

“We are working closely with the NBL and we are extremely confident about the direction of the club and the business as it continues to mature and we are looking ahead to next season with a sense of optimism and confidence.

“We thank all of our passionate and loyal fans and partners for all of their support this season and look forward to making some exciting announcements over the coming months as we prepare for the 2019-20 season.”

The NBL doubled-down on those comments with a spokesman saying: “We are very confident about the direction of the club and working closely with them to build a long term, sustainable future for the Hawks.”