Blues 2019
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Forward pack is starting to shape up.
1 Karl T
2 Parsons/Moulds
3 Ofa T
4 Scrafton
5
6
7 Gibson
8 Ioane16 Moulds/Parsons
17 Hodgman
18
19 Tuipulotu
20 Papali'iStarting 5 and 6, and reserve tighthead are the positions of contention. Might be nice to have some experience at 5 and 6, or perhaps a couple from the Crusaders ...
Without recruitment, Cowley-Tuioti and Goodhue will be a good contest for lock, and Papali'i might have enough NPC under his belt to be the regular starter at 6. Tupou is the other option in the squad, with Hoskins Sotuto probably being a bit raw. I still think that six could be Ioane's best position
Off contract locks:
Luke Romano, Quentin Strange, Scott Pierce, Ben Nee Nee, Mitchell Dunshea, Pari Pari Parkinson.
Off contract sixes and eights:
Heiden Bedwell-Curtis, Pita Gus Sowakula, Mitchell Dunshea, Sam Slade, Toa Halafihi, Glenn Preston.
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@taniwharugby said in Blues 2019:
@kiwimurph said in Blues 2019:
That's true - but others squads can snap up players that are only offered development/wider squad contracts (think Alaimalo and Taleni Seu).
dont think Alaimalo was in a WTG, thought he went straight into Chiefs (had heard they were looking at him before he even signed for Northland)
Problem is, you cannot sign everyone, and this is where they are coming unstuck signing kids for 3 or 4 seasons, and then they do not progress as they are expected (example here would be Nock)
I believe Blues only offered Alaimalo a WTG spot - same with Seu.
Agreed about signing youngsters - when I said 'could' be an option - what I meant was could be an option depending on Mitre 10 Cup form. The likes of Alaimalo and Seu showed enough in Mitre 10 Cup that suggested they were more than up to Super standard. Whereas the likes of Nock and Trainor were given contracts without showing anything at Mitre 10 Cup level.
@kiwimurph ah ok, yeah he wasnt in the WTG, I think you are right in that they had offered him a WTG contract but the Chiefs had been looking at him anyway and offered a full contract (think he may have played for the Crusaders development team before coming to Northland)
@Tim he's in Tahiti!
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https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12095821
It's also believed that there could yet be more arrivals pending at the Blues - signings that have been made possible thanks to the arrival of Coventry, who has is respected nationwide for his ability to get the best out of forwards. It is believed that Akira Ioane committed to the Blues - he was talking to the Hurricanes - once he knew Coventry was on board. -
@kiwimurph said in Blues 2019:
Riedlinger-Kapa
True, but I honestly think that we have lots of up-and-comers available, but lack that bit of experience.
Great player for the dev squad though.
Luke Romano would be a great signing for next year.
@tim said in Blues 2019:
@kiwimurph said in Blues 2019:
Riedlinger-Kapa
True, but I honestly think that we have lots of up-and-comers available, but lack that bit of experience.
Great player for the dev squad though.
Luke Romano would be a great signing for next year.
Romano won’t sign, if he doesn’t make the crusaders squad next year I’d expect a move into coaching.
I think your best chance of pinching a lock from us is dunshea. Not sure they rate him that highly now that Quentin Strange has come along.
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@taniwharugby said in Blues 2019:
@kiwimurph said in Blues 2019:
That's true - but others squads can snap up players that are only offered development/wider squad contracts (think Alaimalo and Taleni Seu).
dont think Alaimalo was in a WTG, thought he went straight into Chiefs (had heard they were looking at him before he even signed for Northland)
Problem is, you cannot sign everyone, and this is where they are coming unstuck signing kids for 3 or 4 seasons, and then they do not progress as they are expected (example here would be Nock)
I believe Blues only offered Alaimalo a WTG spot - same with Seu.
Agreed about signing youngsters - when I said 'could' be an option - what I meant was could be an option depending on Mitre 10 Cup form. The likes of Alaimalo and Seu showed enough in Mitre 10 Cup that suggested they were more than up to Super standard. Whereas the likes of Nock and Trainor were given contracts without showing anything at Mitre 10 Cup level.
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@duluth said in Blues 2019:
@tim Papali'i should be the starting 6. He can move to 7 when Gibson breaks again
One of the first on the teamsheet to me. I think he's our best 6, but he might also be our best 7 too.
It'll be interesting to see where Auckland play Papali'i if Akira is with the All Blacks. He might end up playing 8 this NPC season with Gibson and Havili on the flanks.
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@kiwimurph Trainor got signed due to his form with Waikato where he was pretty decent.
@dice said in Blues 2019:
@kiwimurph Trainor got signed due to his form with Waikato where he was pretty decent.
I'm fairly certain Trainor played about 1 or 2 games for Waikato that year (one was a shield game from memory).
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@dice said in Blues 2019:
@kiwimurph Trainor got signed due to his form with Waikato where he was pretty decent.
I'm fairly certain Trainor played about 1 or 2 games for Waikato that year (one was a shield game from memory).
@kiwimurph He did look good though.
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@dice said in Blues 2019:
@kiwimurph Trainor got signed due to his form with Waikato where he was pretty decent.
I'm fairly certain Trainor played about 1 or 2 games for Waikato that year (one was a shield game from memory).
@kiwimurph said in Blues 2019:
@dice said in Blues 2019:
@kiwimurph Trainor got signed due to his form with Waikato where he was pretty decent.
I'm fairly certain Trainor played about 1 or 2 games for Waikato that year (one was a shield game from memory).
He had one game in his first season, which was the shield game you're talking about, but the year after he was the starting fullback for Waikato for majority of the season.
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@kiwimurph said in Blues 2019:
@dice said in Blues 2019:
@kiwimurph Trainor got signed due to his form with Waikato where he was pretty decent.
I'm fairly certain Trainor played about 1 or 2 games for Waikato that year (one was a shield game from memory).
He had one game in his first season, which was the shield game you're talking about, but the year after he was the starting fullback for Waikato for majority of the season.
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@dice and he was signed with the Blues after that first season with 1 game was my understanding?
@kiwimurph said in Blues 2019:
@dice and he was signed with the Blues after that first season with 1 game was my understanding?
I can't quite remember, but after the full season he had with Waikato, it didn't seem like that bad a signing for us at the time.
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https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12095821
It's also believed that there could yet be more arrivals pending at the Blues - signings that have been made possible thanks to the arrival of Coventry, who has is respected nationwide for his ability to get the best out of forwards. It is believed that Akira Ioane committed to the Blues - he was talking to the Hurricanes - once he knew Coventry was on board.@kiwimurph said in Blues 2019:
It's also believed that there could yet be more arrivals pending at the Blues - signings that have been made possible thanks to the arrival of Coventry, who has is respected nationwide for his ability to get the best out of forwards.
Come on Shaun Stevenson, you know you want to.
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@dice Haven't seen anything.
Do you know much about young fullback Lemeki Namoa (Sacred Heart 2017)? Looked very slick in the Pakuranga game I watched.
Rugbypass has some footage of him from the Condor Sevens:
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/watch-best-condor-7s-lemeki-namoa/
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Well done Blues for getting something right.
Apart from SBW, I can’t remember the last time a current All Black signed with the Blues. Come to think of it he wasn’t current was he - he was coming out of the NRL. In any case he could be counted as such as he was never going to miss out on selection. -
@dice Haven't seen anything.
Do you know much about young fullback Lemeki Namoa (Sacred Heart 2017)? Looked very slick in the Pakuranga game I watched.
Rugbypass has some footage of him from the Condor Sevens:
https://www.rugbypass.com/news/watch-best-condor-7s-lemeki-namoa/
@tim yeah, he played like 3 or 4 years in the 1st XV. He started off on the wing, but moved to centre in his last year. Not too bad a player. He's signed with Auckland on an academy contract I think.
Here's another outside back who is about the same age as him but I'm unsure if he's signed with Auckland,
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There's also that teenage winger the Blues signed about a year ago - who is still a teenager and carved up a domestic 7s comp? - Siave Togoiu.
@kiwimurph He's gone back to league. He's playing for the Junior Warriors now.
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Shit shit shit blody Blues poaching b@stards
