After spending last season with the Cairns Taipans, Rob Loe has announced he will be returning to the Breakers on a one-year deal.
The struggling Taipans, who went 6-22 to finish bottom place in the NBL last season, released Loe from his two-year deal early. It’s understood that Loe wanted to seek opportunities closer to his family back in Auckland.
“I'm happy to be back at the New Zealand Breakers for the 2019-20 NBL season. It's an organisation that I've been a part of since I was in the Breakers Academy growing up and getting another opportunity to put on a Breakers jersey is huge for me,” said the 27-year-old Loe. “I'm excited to get the opportunity to play with the boys again and looking forward to seeing the fans that welcomed me in my first couple of years here.”
Loe, a 6’11 centre and known as one the league’s premier big men, previously played for the Breakers in 2016-18. A perennial pick on Tall Blacks’ rosters, the return to New Zealand should prove to be a smooth one, as Loe spent the last NBL off-season playing with Breakers Shea Ili and Jordan Ngatai in the NZ NBL for the Wellington Saints.
Breakers General Manager Dillon Boucher said “We were disappointed to lose him last season, as we’d hoped Rob would be a key part of the Breakers for many years to come. His return this season provides a substantial boost to the club and continues our tradition of building around a strong group of local players – a strategy which has brought us a lot of success over the years.”