Blues 2026

[Daffy Jaffy]

@Duluth I would too. but I fear him ending up in the Crusaders wider group replacing Trainor who withdrew to return to MLR. Also suspect our coach does not rate smaller backs, hence loosing Tito-Harris while signing bodies like Paul, Vai and Suanoa. We always produce big strong athletes. The fast, nimble quick thinkers are rare we should protect them when we find them.

[WoodysRFC]

@Daffy-Jaffy said in Blues 2026:

@Duluth I would too. but I fear him ending up in the Crusaders wider group replacing Trainor who withdrew to return to MLR. Also suspect our coach does not rate smaller backs, hence loosing Tito-Harris while signing bodies like Paul, Vai and Suanoa.

Odd, Tito-Harris isn't exactly a midget, bigger than Vai I'd imagine. It's a shame if that's your coaches mentality since we're in a golden period for smaller outside backs.

[Duluth]

@Daffy-Jaffy said in Blues 2026:

Also suspect our coach does not rate smaller backs

Hopefully that's not the case. He does rate Taele

[ARHS]

Hoping the Chiefs can drag Reon Paul back if off contract

[brodean]

I'd take Paul if hes fit.

[cliff]

@Steven-Harris who have the chiefs signed

[KiwiMurph]

@brodean said in Blues 2026:

I'd take Paul if hes fit.

Would make a nice change from Paul's Blues involvement in 2025

[Daffy Jaffy]

From Sam Slade's Instagram. It appears that Choat ahs sorted his Visa.

[Tim]

@Daffy-Jaffy Has Slade moved to Japan too?

[Tim]

Got an odd feeling about this squad. We struggled with frontrow depth last year. Really hope Tu'ungufasi is back, and there's a couple of strong signings.

Six is up for grabs. Who is the backup number 8?

Will Funaki kick on?

Will Darry stay fit? Perofeta and Barrett?

A bit of uncertainty around midfield and back three.

[Tim]

What's the 23 looking like before Tuipulotu returns?

1 Fusitua
2 Slater
3 Renata
4 Beehre
5 Darry
6 Christie
7 Papalii
8 Sotutu

9 Christie
10 Barrett
11 Clarke
12 Evans
13 Lam
14 ?
15 Sullivan

16 Eklund
17 Tu'ungufasi
18 ?
19 McWhannell
20 Segner/Wrampling
21 Funaki
22 Perofeta
23 Ahki/Taele

Definitely a possibility for a 6-2 split, given the versatility in the backline.

Good replacements for Ta'avao and Telea are needed in the squad.

[Tim]

Going back to previous thread:
Based on the player profiles (I haven't seen any contract announcements this year), these are per player contract lengths:

Angus Ta’avao - 2025

Ofa Tu’ungafasi - 2026

Marcel Renata - 2027

Jordan Lay - 2026

Joshua Fusitu’a - 2025

PJ Sheck - 2025

Ben Ake - 2027

Kurt Eklund - 2026

Ricky Riccitelli - 2025

James Mullan - 2026

Laghlan McWhannell - 2026

Cameron Christie - 2027

Patrick Tuipulotu - 2025

Sam Darry - 2025

Josh Beehre - 2027

Cameron Suafoa - 2025

Adrian Choat - 2025

Dalton Papali’i - 2027

Anton Segner - 2026

Hoskins Sotutu - 2026

Che Clark - 2026

Finlay Christie - 2025

Sam Nock - 2026

Taufa Funaki - 2026

Stephen Perofeta - 2026

Harry Plummer - 2025

Beauden Barrett - 2027

Rieko Ioane - 2027

Xavi Taele - 2025

Corey Evans - 2026

Meihana Grindlay - 2025

Zarn Sullivan - 2026

Mark Tele’a - 2025

Caleb Clarke - 2025

AJ Lam - 2026

Payton Spencer - 2026

Reon Paul - 2025

Cole Forbes - 2026

These are the players off contract at the end of 2025:

Angus Ta’avao
Re-signed: Joshua Fusitu’a
PJ Sheck

Ricky Riccitelli

Re-signed: Patrick Tuipulotu
Re-signed: Sam Darry

Very unlikely: Cameron Suafoa
Adrian Choat

Likely to stay: Finlay Christie

Harry Plummer

Re-signed: Xavi Taele
Meihana Grindlay

Mark Tele’a
Re-signed: Caleb Clarke
Reon Paul

Ioane on sabbatical.

Injury cover for Tuipulotu?

[Daffy Jaffy]

@Tim Yep, to Sayama Secom -

[Mauss]

@Tim said in Blues 2026:

14 ?

I’d like to see them try Corey Evans on the wing, in a similar way to how the Irish use a player like Mack Hansen at 14. Put Ahki and Lam in the midfield to dominate the gain line and have players like Evans, Sullivan and Barrett sweep around the back to act from side-to-side as playmakers.

It’s not really conventional – he has played just the one game on the wing, against the Force in 2025 – but I think it could work really well. He should be alright underneath the high ball since he’s played a lot at fullback and he’s got good footwork and is strong in contact in close spaces.

I'm not expecting it to happen but who knows, with Tele'a leaving they need a genuine new threat in the backline.

[Trig]

@Steven-Harris said in Blues 2026:

Blues wider training squad players that were handed to me

Eslie Fono
Josh Renton
Jed Melvin
Sam Matenga
Torian Barnes
Eli Oudenryn
Harlyn Saunoa
Mason Tupaea

There’s a couple of other names but that’s the majority that I got passed on to me
There’s a few other names
I would expect Sam Hainsworth Fa’aofo given he was used by the Blues last year as a 7 in preseason games

Is the three props correct. I had thought I had read that the wider training squads were to be limited to positions i.e. 1 hooker, 1 loosehead, 1 tighthead, 1 lock, etc. leaving a designated player in the wider squad to cover any injury in the main squad. Could Mason Tupaea potentially be in the full squad if that's the case?

[Tim]

So, our squad will likely have Wrampling as a full time member, and other youngsters on national development contracts (three per franchise) or in the wider training group.

Pita Ahki is in, Slater is in. James Cameron is in.

We definitely need at minimum 1 TH prop, 1 six/eight, 1 first five, and 1 wing (4 players). Could add another TH, lock, and wing to that (7 players).

Potential Squad:

(players in italics have contracts that expire this year)

Ben Ake (LH)
Joshua Fusitu'a (LH)
Jordan Lay (LH, can play TH)
Marcel Renata (TH)
PJ Sheck (TH)? Possible replacement TH needed
Unknown TH replacement (Flyn Yates?)
Ofa Tu'ungafasi (LH, can play TH)

Kurt Eklund
Bradley Slater
James Mullan

Josh Beehre
Cameron Christie
Trystin Cook
Sam Darry
Laghlan McWhannell
Patrick Tuipulotu
Possible Injury replacement for x weeks of season for Tuipulotu

Malachi Wrampling-Alec
Che Clark
Dalton Papali'i
Anton Segner
Hoskins Sotutu
Unknown 7/8

Finlay Christie
Taufa Funaki
Sam Nock

Beauden Barrett
Stephen Perofeta
Unknown 10 (Rico Simpson?)

Corey Evans
James Cameron
AJ Lam
Xavi Taele
Pita Ahki

Caleb Clarke
Cole Forbes
Payton Spencer
Zarn Sullivan
Unknown Wing (Tito-Harris or Codi Vai?)
Reon Paul? Possible replacement wing needed.

WTG:

Eslie Fono (LH Prop)
Josh Renton (Halfback)
Jed Melvin (Openside Flanker, Loose Forward)
Sam Matenga (TH Prop)
Torian Barnes (Loose Forward)
Eli Oudenryn (Hooker)
Harlyn Saunoa (Wing)
Mason Tupaea (LH Prop)
Possible addition to WTG: Sam Hainsworth Fa’aofo (Openside Flanker)

[Tim]

I do wonder if there are a couple of props at MP they could have looked at.

Future development priorities need to be with 9, 10, TH, and maybe midfield. Hooker of course, but Oudenryn has been recruited.

[Daffy Jaffy]

@Tim Manawatu and Kamaishi Tighthead Flyn Yates is apparently in along with Codi Vai and young centre James Cameron. Tito-Harris is with the Landers.

[Tim]

@Daffy-Jaffy I wonder if James Cameron will be on an NDC contract. Maybe the prop is in WTG?

[Tim]

IIRC, MP's tight heads were: Feleti Sae-Taʻufoʻou, Tito Tuipulotu, and Chris Apoua?

Feleti Sae-Taʻufoʻou looked promising.