Blues 2025
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So given the rumors and the known departures, who are we looking at next year for the preferred match-day squad?
1 Tu'ungufasi
2 Moananu
3 Renata
4 Darry
5 Tuipulotu
6 Christie
7 Papalii
8 Sotutu9 Funaki
10 Barrett
11 Clarke
12 Taele
13 Lam
14 ?
15 Sullivan16 Eklund/Slater
17 Fusitua
18 ?
19 Beehre/McWhannell
20 Segner
21 Christie/Nock
22 Perofeta
23 EvansObvious signings needed will be tight-head prop and wing. There must be some quality young wings around. Forbes can cover there.
Who will be the backup 12 and 13?
Lock is a strength so expect plenty of rotation.
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Is Sotutu hanging around? Ofa obviously has a bad injury and it has been reported that he could be retiring, I'd assume we'll be keeping Mason Tupaea and maybe Hamdahn Tuipulotu comes into the squad if Ta'avao is retiring too.
I'm gonna assume that Slater and Eklund will be our hookers next year, with Christie starting at 9. Right wing? Do we see Xavier Tito-Harris get a gig? Is Perofeta hanging around?
As you pointed out, Lock is a position of strength. Do we see Beehre get some minutes at 6 next year?
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@African-Monkey Cam Christie or Tristian Cook are options for 6 as well ,Josh looks more of a tight lock but i stand to be corrected as he is extremely mobile
Che Clark kind of reminds of Miracle Fai’langi before he put some size on would like to see him given the 6 jersey for Auckland and told just go out an pd own it -
@brodean said in Blues 2025:
Think the Blues will struggle to hang on to Papali'i and Sotutu. This is a major blow.
I find it incredible that the Blues only have 1 forward they consider worthy of selection.
Yeah it's becoming harder and harder to keep hold of our players these days due to them rightly or wrongly getting snubbed for higher honours.
Still, it's a long season, injuries are gonna happen, so hopefully we see a few more of our boys in Black as the season goes on.
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@george33 said in Blues 2025:
@brodean Dalton is contracted to end of 27, Hoskins next season can't see them leaving.
Contracts don't mean much McALister moved to the Chiefs when he was still contracted to the Crusaders for 2 more years and was released.
If players really want to go they get a release. -
@george33 said in Blues 2025:
@nzzp pretty sure Akira was of contract when he left
He had a year remaining.
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Most players now have out clauses, especially guys at that level ifnthey miss AB selection they can head off for some cash...
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If Papalii wants to fight for his spot he should put on some size and try and play 6 for the Blues
Segner is more of a 7 anyway - Suafoa has bigger things to worry about than rugby and Che Clark has to establish himself at NPC level let alone Super level.
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@KiwiMurph said in Blues 2025:
If Papalii wants to fight for his spot he should put on some size and try and play 6 for the Blues
Segner is more of a 7 anyway - Suafoa has bigger things to worry about than rugby and Che Clark has to establish himself at NPC level let alone Super level.
Yeah, I think that first Test against Argentina in Wellington pretty much shut the door for Papali’i as a Test openside for the foreseeable future. I recently watched that game back and it was pretty clear how the chaotic nature of Razorball doesn’t really suit the natural game of a player like Papali’i, who seems to thrive more in the Blues’ narrow gameplan. Blackadder was consistently arriving at rucks before Papali’i, which isn’t how you want your openside-blindside balance to be.
To me, it also looked like him potentially going down the blindside-route was already the plan before the 2025 season, with Papali’i playing a half at lock for Counties in the NPC when he was coming back from injury last year. It didn’t really pan out that way for the Blues, but I suppose they wanted to limit the changes with Ioane already leaving. But as long as Robertson is the AB coach and the game plan is focused on speed and ball movement, I think 6 is the only way Papali’i gets back into the starting 15.
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@brodean said in Blues 2025:
If the first test against the Pumas shut the door why did he start in the 2nd test?
Why was he originally named in the Eoyt NH tour squad that followed?
Well, I'm guessing they wanted Cane to return from the bench and they wanted to give Papali'i another shot. But seeing how he didn't play another minute after that second test - where he was subbed in the 50th minute - is pretty indicative, I think.
And my guess, for the Northern Tour, is that they wanted to try him in a blindside/bench-role. Hence the minutes at lock for Counties.
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@Mauss said in Blues 2025:
@brodean said in Blues 2025:
If the first test against the Pumas shut the door why did he start in the 2nd test?
Why was he originally named in the Eoyt NH tour squad that followed?
Well, I'm guessing they wanted Cane to return from the bench and they wanted to give Papali'i another shot. But seeing how he didn't play another minute after that second test - where he was subbed in the 50th minute - is pretty indicative, I think.
And my guess, for the Northern Tour, is that they wanted to try him in a blindside/bench-role. Hence the minutes at lock for Counties.
He broke his thumb during the 2nd Pumas test.
Then came back in round 9 of the NPC for 20 minutes and did his hammy.
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@brodean said in Blues 2025:
He broke his thumb.
He was fit for the 2nd Springbok Test and wasn't picked. He isn't picked now. I think it's good to try to understand why.
I would've liked to have seen Papali'i picked. I think he's a genuine option at 6. If Vern Cotter was the coach of the ABs, he would be a great option at 7 as well. But he isn't.
