Premium Content Subscriber only IPSWICH Force head coach Chris Riches knows how valuable the NBL1 North series will be as excitement builds for this weekend's new competition launch. "It's been a long time coming with the false start that we had last year with COVID,'' Riches said. "Everyone just wants it to start. There's a real sense of just getting underway with it and us being able to take off with the rebranding of having it as NBL1. "There's been a lot of positives that a lot of associations have seen through that connection with the NBL. "There's a lot of good stories happening and we're just ready to put on a show.''