THE NBL1 North Men’s competition wrapped on the weekend, with Nathan Sobey leading the Ipswich Force past the Gold Coast Rollers in a three-game series from Friday to Sunday.

The two best sides of the 2023 season faced off in a best of three series which was full of quality talent. Gold Coast had been the better side over the course of the regular season, but the Force finished exceptionally well, and were as good a chance as anyone to take down the ladder-leading Rollers.

The Rollers had the home court advantage during the series, and it looked to be a defining factor in the opening match, where they downed Ipswich to the tune of 14 points to put themselves within one win of the title.

However, the Force bit back in game two, flipping the script and forcing game three with a 21-point triumph, before backing it up in the decider with an even better showing to defeat Gold Coast by 24 points and claim the ultimate prize.

Sobey was far and away the standout for the victors, claiming the NBL1 North Men’s Finals MVP after a dominant and influential campaign.

Nathan Sobey in the 2023 NBL1 North Men’s Grand Final series

Game one – 22 points, six rebounds, three assists, three steals, two blocks
Game two – 39 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal
Game three – 21 points, six rebounds, three assists, one block

Sobey was a consistent performer for the Force in their remarkable championship run, downing the favourites behind the Olympians strong performances in all three games.

Although his first game was slightly riddled with inaccuracy, Sobey still managed to grind his way to 22 points and impact the game on the defensive end. The defensive coverage from the Rollers stunned Ipswich a bit, and the guard tried valiantly to drag his side over the line, albeit in vain.

Game two saw Sobey take over the contest, putting his side on his back and forcing a game three, despite a big performance from some of Gold Coast’s best.

A haul of 39 points was reflective of his impact on the game, looking to take the defence off the dribble and finding the bottom of the net despite some seriously tight defence from the opposition.

Sobey was once again present in the deciding game, and although he played second fiddle to Deng Deng‘s monster double-double of 41 points and 13 rebounds, the veteran guard was still able to leave his fingerprints on the game. He hit six threes on eight attempts to pop up and hurt Gold Coast from behind the arc.

It was a leader’s performance from Sobey, who stood up when it mattered most to not only keep his side alive in game two, but guide them to glory in the decider.