The Auckland Tuatara are again loading up for a hopeful championship in the New Zealand NBL, having lost back-to-back grand finals to the Otago Nuggets in 2022 and Canterbury Rams in 2023.
The current champions will not see Corey Webster suit up for them this season, instead the North Shore local will stay closer to home after the Tuatara announced the signing on Wednesday.
Webster is currently playing in the Australian NBL for the Perth Wildcats, working with Tuatara head coach Aaron Young who is part of the coaching staff under John Rillie.
The 6-foot-2 guard is averaging 6.8 points per game, plus 1.2 assists and 1.5 rebounds, while shooting 43% from the field. Webster has been struggling for minutes lately in the ANBL, not breaking double digits since Perth’s December 8 clash with the Illawarra Hawks.
While he has been training with Young at the Wildcats, the Tall Blacks great expressed an interest in returning to Auckland where his family is based.
“I’ve been really impressed with how Corey approaches the game and what he wants to achieve with us,” Young said in an official club statement.
“It means a lot to him to be able to play for his hometown team and be able to play a full role in training while also getting to spend time with his family.”
Webster’s inclusion will see the Tuatara dress an impressive starting five that features three players of MVP calibre - Rob Loe, the league’s current MVP, plus Tom Vodanovich and Webster. Auckland’s starters are rounded out by Reuben Te Rangi and Cam Gliddon.
“It was a win-win situation for both Corey and us and we are super excited about what we can achieve together,” Young stated.
“He is a phenomenal talent that can do things that no other player in the League can do, and it will be nice to have him on our side this time around.”
The Tuatara’s first game of the 2024 NZNBL season is March 31 on the road against the Wellington Saints, before hosting the Taranaki Airs at Eventfinda Stadium on April 4. Webster is expected to finish out the season with the Wildcats before returning to Auckland in time for the season opener.