Blues v Highlanders
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@Duluth said in Blues v Highlanders:
@KiwiMurph said in Blues v Highlanders:
Some serious question marks have to be asked of Tana's outside back recruitment.
He lost Li and Lam, didn't want Visinia and brought in Collins, O'Donnell and Ambrose Curtis. He also missed out on promising Northlander Solomon Alaimalo. Trainor has yet to be sighted except for the Brisbane 10s where he looked poor.
Yeah the outside back selections have been strange
Also not signing GPT at hooker. He was one of the last signings for the Highlanders. With Parsons having concussion issues, Moulds not good enough at lineout time it seems crazy not to select a good set piece hooker who has been in great form in the last two NPCs.
Last year selecting Matenga ahead of Fatialofa and Seu is unforgivable. That talent from the region is probably lost for good.
Parsons concussion issues only arose part way through npc, so there's no way you could know that was going to happen. GPT and Moulds were both wider training the previous year at the same time. They both got little to no game time. Both had good NPC seasons. They both had serious injury issues last NPC season. So really signing of Q McDondald was out of left field. Blues could have retained both.
Moulds had excellent impact off the bench v Landers and the Blues lineouts were all won from there on in.
Parsons had massive issues at line out time and he's usually bang on, so what's the issue? Probably lots of small things making a big mess. -
@Number-10 what % NZ Rugby player numbers do Auckland make up?
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@Number-10 said in Blues v Highlanders:
According to the 2016 Auckland RU Annual report, page 28
28% of all players in the 2016 Mitre 10 Cup competition came through the Auckland system.
How do they define "came through the Auckland system"? Does that include every player who went to an Auckland school for one or two years on a scholarship but did all their age grade, club and other school rugby in another region?
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@Stargazer said in Blues v Highlanders:
@Number-10 said in Blues v Highlanders:
According to the 2016 Auckland RU Annual report, page 28
28% of all players in the 2016 Mitre 10 Cup competition came through the Auckland system.
How do they define "came through the Auckland system"? Does that include every player who went to an Auckland school for one or two years on a scholarship but did all their age grade, club and other school rugby in another region?
Would a kid who gets a scholarship at an Auckland school be playing club rugby as well or would they be playing exclusively for the school whilst on the scholarship?
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@ACT-Crusader is interesting, these kids get identified young, but you could argue many become better players through the Auckland school system than they would have if they had stayed where ever else they come from (although will always be exceptions)
I know plenty of Northland kids get picked up by Auckland schools, 3 of the more high profile ones in recent times were the Goodhue twins and Sam Nock, but would the Goodhues have been better staying in Kawakawa instead of MAG and Nock at Kerikeri instead of St Kents? Best thing is they all decided to come back.
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@Dice said in Blues v Highlanders:
I have a feeling the Chiefs will get Black next year.
What makes you say this?
DMac is being developed to be Cruden's replacement at the Chiefs with Stevenson moving to FB.
I doubt Black moves to sit on the bench (again).
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@Bovidae maybe he wants to be part of a winning culture...?
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@Bovidae said in Blues v Highlanders:
@Dice said in Blues v Highlanders:
I have a feeling the Chiefs will get Black next year.
What makes you say this?
DMac is being developed to be Cruden's replacement at the Chiefs with Stevenson moving to FB.
I doubt Black moves to sit on the bench (again).
I was thinking that, but then I figured that there was no guarantees that Cooper will want to move DMac from fullback since he's so good there. If a 10 spot is open at the Chiefs and they make a pitch to Black, I can't see the Blues getting him.
Is Stevenson still signed for next season? The move to Harbour might indicate that he's coming home for all his rugby. The Blues CEO has said they're working to bring back some of the homegrown talent.
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@mariner4life I'll let the Canes supporters bite...
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@Dice said in Blues v Highlanders:
@Bovidae said in Blues v Highlanders:
@Dice said in Blues v Highlanders:
I have a feeling the Chiefs will get Black next year.
What makes you say this?
DMac is being developed to be Cruden's replacement at the Chiefs with Stevenson moving to FB.
I doubt Black moves to sit on the bench (again).
I was thinking that, but then I figured that there was no guarantees that Cooper will want to move DMac from fullback since he's so good there. If a 10 spot is open at the Chiefs and they make a pitch to Black, I can't see the Blues getting him.
Is Stevenson still signed for next season? The move to Harbour might indicate that he's coming home for all his rugby. The Blues CEO has said they're working to bring back some of the homegrown talent.
That would be really dumb of Cooper if that was a plan. DMac would be goooone as soon as his contract was up. He knows the ABs see him as a 10/15 not the other way around. He is happy at the moment to sit behind Cruden as there is no hurry and he gets to watch and learn while waiting for his moment to step up.
ABs would love to have another BB equivalent on the bench to create things from 15 in the last 20 while covering 10 as well. It would mean they could carry a specialist midfield reserve as well such as SBW for impact. -
@Crucial said in Blues v Highlanders:
@Dice said in Blues v Highlanders:
@Bovidae said in Blues v Highlanders:
@Dice said in Blues v Highlanders:
I have a feeling the Chiefs will get Black next year.
What makes you say this?
DMac is being developed to be Cruden's replacement at the Chiefs with Stevenson moving to FB.
I doubt Black moves to sit on the bench (again).
I was thinking that, but then I figured that there was no guarantees that Cooper will want to move DMac from fullback since he's so good there. If a 10 spot is open at the Chiefs and they make a pitch to Black, I can't see the Blues getting him.
Is Stevenson still signed for next season? The move to Harbour might indicate that he's coming home for all his rugby. The Blues CEO has said they're working to bring back some of the homegrown talent.
That would be really dumb of Cooper if that was a plan. DMac would be goooone as soon as his contract was up. He knows the ABs see him as a 10/15 not the other way around. He is happy at the moment to sit behind Cruden as there is no hurry and he gets to watch and learn while waiting for his moment to step up.
ABs would love to have another BB equivalent on the bench to create things from 15 in the last 20 while covering 10 as well. It would mean they could carry a specialist midfield reserve as well such as SBW for impact.That's what I'm hoping for.
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Somehow I just can't see DMac wearing the ABs 10 jersey, maybe, just maybe the 22 jersey. Weren't they talking about training him to play at halfback in case two halfbacks went down and there were only two in the squad? That fits his midget size much better.
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Who will be getting game time in next year's Super Rugby season? Probably Barrett, Sopoaga (signed until the end of 2018 super rugby season or AB season?), DMac, Moaga, and whoever is at the Blues. You'd probably tip him to be 3rd choice for the ABs based on that.
BTW, is Otere Black contracted to the Canes for next season?
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@Stargazer said in Blues v Highlanders:
Somehow I just can't see DMac wearing the ABs 10 jersey, maybe, just maybe the 22 jersey. Weren't they talking about training him to play at halfback in case two halfbacks went down and there were only two in the squad? That fits his midget size much better.
You just never know how players develop ,
Some kick on , others dont
I can remember having little confidence in Beauden when he first started getting selected
