Adam Forde: 'Phone calls will stop. What’s the point.'

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Cairns Taipans head coach Adam Forde has revealed he has stopped communicating with NBL Head of Referees Scott Butler and import Andrew Andrews wanted "consistency" after the Forde was ejected for defending him against New Zealand at Hoopsfest on Saturday, January 17, 2026 in Perth.

Forde was given bang-bang technical fouls midway through the second quarter after Andrews drove to the bucket, right in front of him, and was knocked to the floor, coming up with a lump on his head. Andrews was called for travelling, even though there was clear double hip contact from Breakers big Max Darling inside the charge circle that knocked the guard out of bounds.

"I’ve stopped," Forde said of calling Butler.

"It does nothing. And then again, I back Drew (about it being the hardest job in the world). It’s the hardest job in the world and it’s a one-man job in that position. But it does nothing.

"All it does is get me in trouble. And now you got some dude, credit to him, he’s posting (on X) the coaches challenge successful rates. Now that’s become counterproductive because most coaches are unsuccessful. Now it’s a bad look.

"So, now the phone calls will stop. What’s the point. If anything the other way, really, if anything the other way.

"You know today a was message sent. Again, I get the first one (technical) and I walk and I get it (the second) straight away.

"I got my money’s worth after it because I got two, so I’m going to get my money’s worth on the way out.

"But yeah, that’s a first and most amount of techs I’ve had all season."

Forde revealed he took the first technical in defense of Andrews.

"I said to Drew, I was like, 'I know, I know', and he’s like, 'You don’t know bro'. And I’m like, 'Alright'. I said let me burn this one because we’ve talked about this before.

"And there’s one thing I want to be real clear in everything that I want to do, is the fact that I’m trying to back the guys. And we talked about this a little bit in Illawarra. I said let me wear this one, and so I had to make sure I got it."

Andrews, with a large bone bruise on his forehead, said it was a challenge to adjust to how the game was called since he arrived for his first season in the NBL. Both Forde and Andrews believe he is often on the wrong side of the whistle.

"I’m pretty calm," he said.

"I think throughout the season I’ve been talking to the refs a lot. Part of it is because I’m new.

"I’ve played around. I’ve played in basically every league in the world. So the only thing I ask for as a player is consistency on both ends.

"That’s what I haven’t figured out how to gather here. I heard this was a physical league when I got here. It seems to be physical.

"So my frustrations just come from some of the fouls that I pick up versus some of the things that kind of happen to me. I’m trying to distinguish where the line gets drawn.

"Even (against) Melbourne, I believe I got hit in the groin. They reviewed it, no call. And then the first half, my first foul on PJC (Parker Jackson-Cartwright), I felt like was a pretty soft touch foul.

"So I’m still trying to gather how the game is being called. It doesn’t seem to be any consistency in how the game is being called."

Forde continued immediately after Andrews' answer.

"I’ll pick you back on the back of that," he added.

"I got a tech foul highlighting the hit in the groin in Melbourne (against United).

"We have these conversations where they’ll (NBL referees) sit there and go, 'Hey, you gotta tell Drew he needs to adjust to this'. But I’m like 'I’m not going to because after this he goes and plays in Europe or China, wherever else. He’s going to go back to his career average of six, six and a half free throw attempts a game'.

"I’m not going to tell him to change what he’s been doing for 14-plus years including college. I’m not trying to make you old, but you got a career average of six (free throws).

"When he goes and plays in these third or fourth best leagues in the world, I’m not going to tell him to change what he’s doing.

"They ask me what do you want me to do. I was like, 'Okay, let me get a tech'. Now I get tossed out, so now I don’t do that anymore.

"This is where we’ll just have to sit here and let the entertainment continue to roll through."

Andrews is averaging 3.6 FTA per game and knocking down 2.8 at 76% as the high-usage guard in the backcourt for the Taipans.

"If you look at my face, if you look at some of the games, me and Fordey joke back and forth sending pictures," Andrews said.

"There’s been black eyes.

"I understand it from the refs’ point of view, from other players, from coaches. It’s a high emotional game. Refs have the hardest job in basketball. No matter what they call, they’re going to be looked at like they’re wrong.

"I get it. I talk a lot. Basketball is fun to me. I enjoy it. I’m bantering with players and refs the whole game. For some that might be a lot.

"The consistency in how you ref the game matters to me. When I don’t feel like I’m getting that consistency, that’s when my frustrations get to the point where it’s like, man, what are we doing.

"That’s probably what you guys see. That’s what Coach Fordey and I talk about. From a tech standpoint, this is the most techs I’ve ever got in my career.

"All I’m looking for is consistency."

Forde's comments come after head coach Justin Tatum called out the foul count disparity between his defending champion Illawarra Hawks and the Perth Wildcats on Friday night.

Cairns, Illawarra and the Breakers get to the free throw line less than each of the other seven NBL clubs.

Only the New Zealand Breakers (17.5 FTA) go to the line less than the Hawks (18.8 FTA) and Cairns (18.6) in NBL26 while the Hawks commit the second most fouls per game (20.3) behind South East Melbourne Phoenix at 22.3 fouls per game. The Hawks and Cairns near 19 free throws a game is two below the league average.

"I love the league, Andrews said.

"I love the play style. I love the teams, the competitiveness. I’ve really enjoyed my time here at Cairns.

"For sure I’d give the league another shot. It’s nothing personal. We’re playing a game. Within that game you just want consistency.

"After the game I’ll go home, chill, talk to my teammates, talk to my family, forget about it. But inside those 40 minutes, that’s where I want consistency.

"I’m not taking it personal or thinking refs are out to get me. I just need consistency so I know how to play."