IT'S likely to be of little comfort to a team that pegged itself as a top-four shot at the start of the season but the Cairns Taipans' NBL journey will get easier as the season wears on.

The Taipans have left themselves with a mountain of work in the back end of the season to cement a place in the NBL play-offs. Just past the halfway mark of the regular season, the Taipans boast a 6-11 win-loss season record and sit second-last on the competition ladder.

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It’s a long way from the lofty heights of 5-2, the Taipans’ record at the start of round six after they posted a 101-92 win over current leader New Zealand – their second win over the Breakers after a 122-111 drubbing of the Kiwis across the Tasman in October.

An analysis shows the Taipans had played more games against the top teams than the rest of their competitors to the halfway point of the season.

Their stats certainly do not make pretty reading. The Taipans are the lowest scoring team in the league, have won just one of their past 10 games and have recorded near-lows in several statistical categories.

While the road ahead may be easier, the question will be whether the shattered Taipans can rebound well enough to take advantage of their opportunities.

As well as their on-court woes, doubts about the club’s place in the "new NBL" have swirled around the players over the past month after chief executive Denis Keeffe told The Cairns Post the club’s future was in doubt if it was unable to secure a better hiring agreement at the Cairns Convention Centre.

The club’s lease negotiations and application for a place in the new competition are beyond the side’s control but no team exists in a vacuum and news of the Taipans’ perilous financial position could be weighing on players’ minds.

Since the loss of Stephen Black to a back injury that required surgery, the Taipans have struggled to find ways to score.

An injury to Dave Thomas – who coach Alan Black said on Saturday night was more likely to be four weeks away from returning than two – compounded the problem and the Snakes’ self-belief took another battering with the losses to the South Dragons and Townsville last week.

"It’s obviously something that’s frustrating all of us," Black said after the Round 10 loss to Perth.

Time may be of the essence but the Taipans will also have the luxury of a more relaxed schedule in the back end of the season after two horrendous runs early on – five games in 14 days in October, followed by an NBA-like seven games in 21 days in November.

Excluding the return of the doomsday double next month (the Taipans play the Wildcats in Perth on January 9 before crossing the Nullabor to meet the 36ers in Adelaide the following night), Cairns have a relatively evenly spread schedule for the remainder of the season.

Stephen Black could return before the end of the regular season if his back responds to rehabilitation after surgery. If the Taipans are able to rediscover their early season form, they have shown with wins against competition leaders New Zealand and South Dragons they can be a force in the competition.

The heat is now on a club that had great expectations this season.

Winning a play-off berth will be hard but it is still possible.

The road to redemption can start with a single win on Friday night against the Sydney Spirit.

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