Blues 2025
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@Daffy-Jaffy said in Blues 2025:
@brodean I like Thompson as a player but 3 games off the bench for 9, 61 and 14 minutes is hardly "significant". Tidy cameo's nothing more. Whereas Christie has played 8 games this season including 5 starts and would likely still be in the 23 if not injured. Christie is a hugely promising 20 year old compared to 25 year old battler Thompson. In saying all that Thompson may yet come back into consideration next season with Choat and Suafoa needing to be replaced.
Likewise comparing a 19 year old Taele in his first NPC last year, in a dysfunctional Auckland team, with a 4 years older and more experienced Grindlay in a good Naki team is not fair. Where was Grindlay when he was 19? Taele is class, just green. Grindlay was just about the best player in the NPC in 23, quieter in 24. I would have liked to see him get some game time this year but unluckily for him Reiko and Lam seem to rarely get injured.
On the coaches McGrath is defense coach and the Blues defense ranked 1st last season and 2nd behind the Chiefs this season. I agree re: D.H. he may have been there too long. He is kicking/ skills coach. O'Halloran is attack coach. I have previously liked the way O'Halloran's teams have attacked. I wonder if his 'style' has been a bit restricted by Vern's pick and go up the middle style.I think you've down played Thompson's contribution. He played in the quarters and the semi's last year on the way to our first title in 20+ years. He got it right in key moments.
In terms of Cam Christie he might be talented but he looked green as hell to me and we've lost every one of the 5 games he's started in.
Can you explain the upside to Taele? Do you see him as another David Havili type player potentially? Taele is very small for a modern midfielder. He's made too many mistakes for me to consider him classy yet.
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This is where you wish your coms where sponsored by Firestone or an erectile dysfunction company
Sam Nock and the Blues have negotiated for the Northland 9 to continue with the franchise until the end of 2026 .
Fair to say i’m a tad surprised given what i had been shared but from a Northland piece i’m pretty wrapt hes staying
Hope he repays the Blues loyalty -
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@Steven-Harris think that is just to see out his existing contract right, he was looking for early release, that is usually granted...
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I see the Blues awards have just been announced
I am staggered that AJ Lam is not the back of the year but has been named the players player of the year which i assume is voted by the players
By my reckoning he should be walking away with both those awards
So who picks the back of the year ?, the coaches
Its a very odd one for mine -
@Steven-Harris said in Blues 2025:
This is where you wish your coms where sponsored by Firestone or an erectile dysfunction company
Sam Nock and the Blues have negotiated for the Northland 9 to continue with the franchise until the end of 2026 .
Fair to say i’m a tad surprised given what i had been shared but from a Northland piece i’m pretty wrapt hes staying
Hope he repays the Blues loyaltyHe might get to 100 games for both if he hangs around long enough now that he's staying.
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I see that Jacob Pierce started at lock for Toshiba in the Japanese final. One that got away.
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@Tim said in Blues 2025:
@Mr-Fish Maybe it's a sign that he did what the coaches want? Not how I would have liked to have seen him used. Lam was players' player.
Must be. I don't think Rieko's been terrible or anything, he's just been fine. I still think if he's your back of the year then something is going wrong.
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A few random thoughts came to my mind for no real reason.
Is Sam Nock the most capped Blues halfback of all time?
Harry Plummer has played 88 games for the Blues, and has only 1 try!
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@African-Monkey said in Blues 2025:
A few random thoughts came to my mind for no real reason.
Is Sam Nock the most capped Blues halfback of all time?
Yeah he is - Steve Devine next. Then F. Christie
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@zedsdeadbaby said in Blues 2025:
@African-Monkey said in Blues 2025:
A few random thoughts came to my mind for no real reason.
Is Sam Nock the most capped Blues halfback of all time?
Yeah he is - Steve Devine next. Then F. Christie
Crazy when you think about it, and how long he's taken to get there.
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@African-Monkey have to be well over 50% off the bench too.
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@African-Monkey said in Blues 2025:
A few random thoughts came to my mind for no real reason.
Is Sam Nock the most capped Blues halfback of all time?
I'm still really dispapointed that he never kicked on. Had all the attributes to be dynamite - but just didn't show it on the park. Still someone I like to watch (albeit in a frustrated way at times)
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@nzzp said in Blues 2025:
@African-Monkey said in Blues 2025:
A few random thoughts came to my mind for no real reason.
Is Sam Nock the most capped Blues halfback of all time?
I'm still really dispapointed that he never kicked on. Had all the attributes to be dynamite - but just didn't show it on the park. Still someone I like to watch (albeit in a frustrated way at times)
Yeah as a few of us pointed out, he had the tools, but lacked a bit of confidence to go and fight for possession and was usually in 2 minds as to what to do at times. Was very standoffish with his play in the first few years.
I tell you what, if you mixed Sam Nock's skillet with Fin Christie's aggression and fight, we'd have a hell of a halfback on our hands.
