CROCODILES stars of the past, present and future will make up the Townsville Heat's new-look starting five in the QBL this season.

Townsville NBL great Kelvin Roberston will begin his career resurrection, having been overlooked for a Crocs contract this season after his second knee reconstruction in as many years, by once again suiting up for the state league team.

The 28-year-old was the latest Croc-credentialed player to join the program, following last season's QBL MVP Daniel Egan and NBL development player Chris Cedar. It is understood that teenage swingman Todd Blanchfield will make his move from the Mackay Meteors to the Heat official by today before fellow Crocodiles rookie Ben Allen puts pen to paper in the coming days.

Heat coach Liam Flynn, who also serves as an assistant to Trevor Gleeson in the NBL, would not comment on those players who are yet to officially join the program but was overjoyed by the addition of 243-NBL gamer Robertson.

"I think it's huge from community perspective that he is a Townsville junior who has gone all the way through the ranks to the highest level and now has come back to state league with us," Flynn said.

"From a leadership perspective he has played in so many big games and has a lot experience at NBL level. It will be great to have him work with the young guys around him and especially alongside Chris Cedar, to take some pressure off him. While he is still working into playing his best basketball, he is still going to be a very good player at this level."

The Heat will be a crucial stepping stone in Robertson's comeback with Flynn a believer in the point guard's longevity in the nation's top-flight competition. While it's no certainty that one of the city's favourite basketball sons will again feature for the Crocs, Townsville's QBL program will play an integral role in fast-tracking the development of the youngest and brightest.

Blanchfield helped take his home town of Mackay to last season's grand final with some glittering performances, but in an effort to add muscle and polish to a wiry and raw frame Gleeson has requested the rising star remain full-time in Townsville.

"His ball handling has to improve and we felt that we want to work with him in the off-season here and not send him back to Mackay where we don't have the opportunity to teach him every day," Gleeson said.

"For him to take the next step, he has to spend a lot of time in the gym and a lot of time developing his game in the off-season."

Blanchfield has only played limited minutes for the Crocs this season but showed against Wollongong at the weekend what he is capable of, setting Townsville up for victory with a burst of points either side of the first break.

"We have to get footwork in Todd's game so he is not a catch-and-shoots type of guy," Gleeson said.

While the influx of Crocs stars will relegate captain Tim Duroux and loyal servants Brendan McCully and Matthew Rees to the bench, the addition of big names has done nothing to unsettle the team, now in the second week of pre-season training.