Blues 2026
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@Daffy-Jaffy I wonder if James Cameron will be on an NDC contract. Maybe the prop is in WTG?
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@Tim said in Blues 2026:
@Daffy-Jaffy I wonder if James Cameron will be on an NDC contract. Maybe the prop is in WTG?
James Cameron was confirmed by Blues as Full Squad 2026
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@Mauss Certainly an interesting idea.
A combination of Ahki, Lam, and Clarke would give us some good ball carrying.
Now what of the forwards? Beehre, Tuipulotu, Sotutu, and Wrampling-Alec? Maybe Christie?
Front row players don't especially standout, but Fusitua and Renata are reliable. Tu'ungufasi would be nice. We really need a beast of a hooker.
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@Tim Hamdahn Tuipulotu is another tight head possibility. He was with them this year as a replacement. I think Tupaea mayl start in the full squad at least as cover for Ofa or Lay who are both injured at present and may not be ready to start the season.
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@Daffy-Jaffy said in Blues 2026:
Hamsahn Tuipulotu
Can't say I've been impressed by him. His brother Tito looks handier.
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@Daffy-Jaffy Do you have a list of contract lengths for MP players? I'm sure many teams would like to sign Miracle Faiilagi ...
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@Trig said in Blues 2026:
@Tim said in Blues 2026:
@Daffy-Jaffy I wonder if James Cameron will be on an NDC contract. Maybe the prop is in WTG?
James Cameron was confirmed by Blues as Full Squad 2026
well, that's a blockbuster signing for them.
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@Tim said in Blues 2026:
Now what of the forwards? Beehre, Tuipulotu, Sotutu, and Wrampling-Alec? Maybe Christie?
Front row players don't especially standout, but Fusitua and Renata are reliable. Tu'ungufasi would be nice. We really need a beast of a hooker.
I think your projected forward pack will be pretty close to what we’ll be seeing at the beginning of the season. Christie has looked promising at 6 in his limited appearances for the Blues so I think he’ll get a shot. I’d still like to see Papali’i get a season at blindside but it doesn’t look likely to happen.
In terms of the front row, Mason Tupaea looks like a solid bench option to me. Great carrier, hardworking in the loose. His scrummaging probably needs some more work but he mostly held on during the NPC. Tighthead is a lot more difficult though, there are not a lot of standout candidates right now.
Perhaps one, more left field option: I saw that Marco Fepulea’i (former Auckland tighthead) is playing as a medical joker for Aviron Bayonnais right now. He’s been playing in France for the past few seasons (Colomiers, ProD2) as well as Samoa. At 30 years old, he should be in his prime years as a tighthead (the little I’ve seen of him for Bayonne, he looked like a very solid player). But it might be difficult to pry him away from the Top 14.
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Looking at loose forward versatility:
6/lock: Christie
lock/6: Cook
6/8: Wrampling, Che Clark (needs to have a huge season)
7/6: Papalii, Segner
8: Sotutu (would be interested in seeing him at 6 )From the WTG, Melvin is mostly a 7, Barnes seems to be an 8, and Hainsworth Fa’aofo is a 7.
Kind of makes sense that we might need a 7, as Choat has left, and Suafoa was replaced by Wrampling-Alec.
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