Blues 2018

cgrant

@tim
Still a bit too young but a fine prospect. Hodgman should have a great SR season and earn an AB call. His scrummaging has improved a lot since the BIL tour and he is one of the most effective props in NZ at clearing rucks.

KiwiMurph

The 2018 Blues squad is:

Hookers: Leni Apisai, Matt Moulds, James Parsons.

Front row: Alex Hodgman, Sione Mafileo, Pauliasi Manu, Isaac Salmon, Mike Tamoaieta, Ofa Tuungafasi.

Locks: Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, Josh Goodhue, Scott Scrafton, Patrick Tuipulotu, Jimmy Tupou

Loose forwards: Blake Gibson, Akira Ioane, Jerome Kaino, Dalton Papalii, Glenn Preston, Kara Pryor, Murphy Taramai.

Halfbacks: Sam Nock, Augustine Puli, Jonathan Ruru.

First Five: Otere Black/Daniel Kirkpatrick, Bryn Gatland, Stephen Perofeta.

Midfield: Matt Johnson, George Moala, Tamati Tua, TJ Faiane, Sonny Bill Williams.

Outside backs: Caleb Clarke, Michael Collins, Matt Duffie, Rieko Ioane, Melanie Nanai, Jordan Trainor.

Tim

Good to see Tua there. Looks like they've focused on work-rate for loose forwards. Could do with another ball carrier in there.

Kirkpatrick is an absolute joke. Really hope he sees zero game time.

Wider Training Group might be important for cover at 8, lock, wing, and when Kirkpatrick is dumped.

Hope Gibson isn't out for long!

Daffy Jaffy

I don't get the props? Apparently Salmon is a tight head which means we have 4 tight heads and 2 loose? Maybe Salmon can play both?.. It would be a shame to expect Tu'ungafaasi to switch when he is just starting to fulfill his promise at tight head. Unless that is in the AB selectors plans for him. .

KiwiMurph

@daffy-jaffy its much better than any prop rotation involving Sam Prattley. Addition by subtraction.

Bovidae

How old is Salmon? Was he injured if both Halanukonuka and Lomax were played ahead of him?

KiwiMurph

@bovidae 21 years old. He was only an NPC rookie this year I believe.

Dice

Hopefully Dan Kirkpatrick can recapture his U20 form....

Dice

@tim said in Blues 2018:

Likely XXIII:

Hodgman

Parsons

Tu'ungafasi

Tuipulotu

Scrafton

Kaino

Gibson

Ioane

Pulu

Perofeta
-- now the speculation starts --

Ioane

Faiane

SBW

Nanai

Duffie
-- reserves are more predictable --

Moulds

Manu

Tamoaieta

Cowley-Tuioti

Pryor/Papali'i/Taramai

Nock

Gatland

Moala

Key question for the starting line-up: when is Scrafton back from injury. We rely on him heavily for set piece proficiency and organisation. We need an able replacement for that role.

I really like those tight-five replacements to put some heat on at set-piece in the 2nd half. It'd be great to have a ball-carrying 8 on the bench, especially with Kaino likely to have a lighter workload.

Midfield combo will be a big selection question. A lot of talent outside them.

Pulu's form may be the key. Really hoping for a big year from Nock.

That is pretty close to being spot on.

Papali'i ticks all the boxes for the backrow bench role. He plays all the backrow positions and is a good line-out option.

That midfield was what I wanted to see this year, but it never got any time. I do wonder if Tana is willing to shift SBW out one.

shark

This is a fantastic example of a quality 1st XV, on paper at least, but plenty of potential for disaster as soon as this XV is eroded away.

Number 10

@tim said in Blues 2018:

Good to see Tua there. Looks like they've focused on work-rate for loose forwards. Could do with another ball carrier in there.

Kirkpatrick is an absolute joke. Really hope he sees zero game time.

Wider Training Group might be important for cover at 8, lock, wing, and when Kirkpatrick is dumped.

Hope Gibson isn't out for long!

I thought they had done away with the WTG ?

They can just contract cover players for injury as and when required, and sign promising players to development contracts?

Tim

@number-10 Yeah, should probably have said development squad.

Steven Harris

@number-10

Totally agree regarding Kirkpatrick,bloody average,we let Ihaia West go for this cart horse..?,would have taken Jade Te Rure from the Turbos,even Turbo fans have told me he's better than Otere Black..!
And who the hell is Isaac Salmon..?..

Number 10

Isaac Salmon is a tighthead for Ta$man

Tim

@dice said in Blues 2018:

Papali'i ticks all the boxes for the backrow bench role. He plays all the backrow positions and is a good line-out option.

I didn't realise that he was 113kg. In that case, he should be a good option at 6 and 8 too. There's a big discrepancy between his Auckland and Blues stats though ...

Blues: 193 cm, 113 kg.
Auckland: 190 cm, 104 kg.

Crucial

@steven-harris said in Blues 2018:

@number-10

Totally agree regarding Kirkpatrick,bloody average,we let Ihaia West go for this cart horse..?,would have taken Jade Te Rure from the Turbos,even Turbo fans have told me he's better than Otere Black..!
And who the hell is Isaac Salmon..?..

Seriously? I didn't realise Blues fans were such whinge bags.

All we ever hear is that not enough is done by the Blues to lure a 10 into the setup. They have grabbed Perofeta before anyone else did and talked Black into moving as well. It isn't Umagas fault that Black got badly injured after signing.
I do agree that Kirkpatrick isn't the goods but he is there as a the stand in number three choice and is at least experienced.

Duluth

@daffy-jaffy said in Blues 2018:

I don't get the props? Apparently Salmon is a tight head which means we have 4 tight heads and 2 loose? Maybe Salmon can play both?.. It would be a shame to expect Tu'ungafaasi to switch when he is just starting to fulfill his promise at tight head. Unless that is in the AB selectors plans for him

This is even more concerning than Kirkpatrick

I can't find any record of Mafileo, Salmon & Tamoaieta ever playing LH. So Umaga will convert one of these guys to cover both sides or screw up Ofa's progress

Tim

@crucial Whatever other qualities he has, Umaga has made a lot of poor selections over the last two years. He normally takes half a season to settle on a decent XV.

Daffy Jaffy

@duluth 3rd string front row depth is so important. More often than not one will be injured so 3rd choices will often be in the match day 23. I see both Tamoietea and Salmon as inexperience risks. Salmon was not even in Tasmans squad only came in for 6 games when they had two in the all blacks and two others injured. Hopefully they have inside oil on his potential. Also hope they can make some gains with Tamoietea's fitness and body shape like they did with Nematahi Waa when he was in the squad.

Dice

@tim said in Blues 2018:

@dice said in Blues 2018:

Papali'i ticks all the boxes for the backrow bench role. He plays all the backrow positions and is a good line-out option.

I didn't realise that he was 113kg. In that case, he should be a good option at 6 and 8 too. There's a big discrepancy between his Auckland and Blues stats though ...

Blues: 193 cm, 113 kg.
Auckland: 190 cm, 104 kg.

I'm not sure if he's 113kg, but he did look pretty big in the NPC, just as big as Akira it seemed. I was surprised how big he got, as he looked like a twig early last year.

I thought he looked real good in his cameos for Auckland. Won the gain line with and without the ball, and he has a high motor.

The Silver Fern

Blues 2018