The Newcastle Falcons are looking to add more than just names to the team sheet as they prepare for this weekend’s derby against the Maitland Mustangs.

The arrivals of Cha’Vez Woods and Elias Cato represent a deliberate recruitment shift from men’s head coach Josh Morgan, aimed squarely at addressing the side’s most persistent issue this season. 

“We desperately need scoring,” he said. 

“We’ve had patches where we go two or three minutes without putting the ball in the hole. 

“Our team still defends really well, that has to continue but if we can’t put points on the board, it’s frustrating.

“We need to worry about ourselves, for our position.” 

Morgan says the Falcons have regularly generated more shots than their opponents but lacked the efficiency to turn that into scoreboard pressure. 

“Sometimes they’re forced shots, sometimes they’re good shots that just don’t drop,” he said. 

“Between all of that, it’s been frustrating.” 

Woods, arriving directly out of college in the United States, brings a scoring-first mindset and a calm approach to his first professional opportunity. 

“I just want to win,” he told the Newcastle Weekly. 

“Whatever the game needs, I’ll do. 

“I always want to have a good performance for my peers, coaches, family, whoever’s watching – I always want to make them happy. 

“You can’t really control what goes on in the game, but you can control your effort and your attitude. 

“So I try not to put too much pressure on myself.”

Cato returns to Australia after playing in the Czech Republic, where he says the European style demands greater value on each possession… something he believes will translate well into NBL1. 

“Every possession matters more,” he said. 

“I learned a lot about the game over there and I think I can bring that back here, especially on the offensive end.

“I’d call myself effective on both ends.  

“I can score, but I take pride in what I do defensively as well.” 

That two-way reliability is part of a broader recruitment focus for the Falcons.

Morgan says the signings were about more than filling minutes. 

“It’s about identity,” he said. 

“We know we can defend.

“Now we need to be a team that can hurt you consistently on offence as well.” 

For supporters, that shift should be noticeable, with hopefully more composure in half-court sets and more players capable of creating their own offence. 

It also marks a subtle reset in expectations. 

With Wood’s youthful energy and Cato’s fresh overseas experience joining the existing core, the Falcons are building a roster that blends development with immediate impact.

Morgan believes his playing group still has time to grow into the season, despite a rocky start.  

“We want to be the best team around,” he said. 

“That’s the standard.”

The clash with neighbouring Maitland starts from 7pm on Saturday 16 May at the Newcastle Basketball Stadium.

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