Blues 2019
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@steven-harris The Sunwolves should be on the phone as we speak to Olmstead and Abel!
@daffy-jaffy said in Blues 2019:
@steven-harris The Sunwolves should be on the phone as we speak to Olmstead and Abel!
Abel's status as a Brumbie was always a question mark wasn't it? I'm guessing he'll turn up in their squad (hasn't been named yet has it?). Though maybe Parsons, Moulds and Apisai were all under contract and there was no room for Abel. But in that case I would have expected him to get a contract e.g. at the Highlanders.
I wonder if they simply weren't allowed to pick up the lumberjack?
The four guys I would have wanted to sign from the Auckland team would have been Abel, Olmsted, Manu and Rayasi and somehow they got none of them.
Levi Aumua isn't a bad selection as a squaddie, Tim - but, if he's the starting centre then I'd be pretty worried.
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@mariner4life Canes got Rayasi.
@kiwimurph said in Blues 2019:
@mariner4life Canes got Rayasi.
well, if there was a team crying out for outside backs it's the 'canes...
Every single Blues supporter better get to hoping and praying this is the year Nanai turns potential in to performance. Or you are looking at Collins and Duffie locked in to 14 & 15.
Playing outside a couple of old, slow midfielders.
Reiko is going to start every backline move at a jog until (if) he gets the ball.
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I don't mind Aumua but he's too one-dimensional and you need more at SR level. Manu is a far more rounded player.
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@daffy-jaffy said in Blues 2019:
@steven-harris The Sunwolves should be on the phone as we speak to Olmstead and Abel!
Abel's status as a Brumbie was always a question mark wasn't it? I'm guessing he'll turn up in their squad (hasn't been named yet has it?). Though maybe Parsons, Moulds and Apisai were all under contract and there was no room for Abel. But in that case I would have expected him to get a contract e.g. at the Highlanders.
I wonder if they simply weren't allowed to pick up the lumberjack?
The four guys I would have wanted to sign from the Auckland team would have been Abel, Olmsted, Manu and Rayasi and somehow they got none of them.
Levi Aumua isn't a bad selection as a squaddie, Tim - but, if he's the starting centre then I'd be pretty worried.
@chris-b said in Blues 2019:
Abel's status as a Brumbie was always a question mark wasn't it? I'm guessing he'll turn up in their squad (hasn't been named yet has it?).
As he's on the Maori tour I would have thought he would have an NZRU contract?
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@daffy-jaffy said in Blues 2019:
@steven-harris The Sunwolves should be on the phone as we speak to Olmstead and Abel!
Abel's status as a Brumbie was always a question mark wasn't it? I'm guessing he'll turn up in their squad (hasn't been named yet has it?). Though maybe Parsons, Moulds and Apisai were all under contract and there was no room for Abel. But in that case I would have expected him to get a contract e.g. at the Highlanders.
I wonder if they simply weren't allowed to pick up the lumberjack?
The four guys I would have wanted to sign from the Auckland team would have been Abel, Olmsted, Manu and Rayasi and somehow they got none of them.
Levi Aumua isn't a bad selection as a squaddie, Tim - but, if he's the starting centre then I'd be pretty worried.
@chris-b said in Blues 2019:
Abel's status as a Brumbie was always a question mark wasn't it?
Nah, he left the Brumbies before the NPC. I just wasn't aware of it until late in the season.
Suspect it's a case of them having the other three already signed.
Once again this squad is a shit sandwich.
Collins doesn't even have a fucking kicking game when he's a specialist fullback!
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@chris-b said in Blues 2019:
Abel's status as a Brumbie was always a question mark wasn't it?
Nah, he left the Brumbies before the NPC. I just wasn't aware of it until late in the season.
Suspect it's a case of them having the other three already signed.
Once again this squad is a shit sandwich.
Collins doesn't even have a fucking kicking game when he's a specialist fullback!
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@chris-b said in Blues 2019:
Abel's status as a Brumbie was always a question mark wasn't it? I'm guessing he'll turn up in their squad (hasn't been named yet has it?).
As he's on the Maori tour I would have thought he would have an NZRU contract?
@nepia I can't see Nonu/SBW starting often rather sharing 12 duties. maybe they will look at Faiane out at centre. He has the pace but has always previously been a 12/10 rather than 12/13 type player. It is a shame that Tele'a was injured for most of the Mitre 10. He is a potent player and will be an important player to develop under the guidance the two grandads but he would be a risk to start at 13 with only really age group rep experience previously.
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You guys are being harsh on Collins. We have the best comunicator in SR.
@african-monkey That's why we want him as waterboy to communicate the messages coming down from the coaches box.
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@nepia I can't see Nonu/SBW starting often rather sharing 12 duties. maybe they will look at Faiane out at centre. He has the pace but has always previously been a 12/10 rather than 12/13 type player. It is a shame that Tele'a was injured for most of the Mitre 10. He is a potent player and will be an important player to develop under the guidance the two grandads but he would be a risk to start at 13 with only really age group rep experience previously.
@daffy-jaffy said in Blues 2019:
@nepia I can't see Nonu/SBW starting often rather sharing 12 duties. maybe they will look at Faiane out at centre. He has the pace but has always previously been a 12/10 rather than 12/13 type player. It is a shame that Tele'a was injured for most of the Mitre 10. He is a potent player and will be an important player to develop under the guidance the two grandads but he would be a risk to start at 13 with only really age group rep experience previously.
I was assuming TJ moving out to 13 and the old codgers rotating. But who knows, maybe SBW will fire with consistent gametime and Nonu could carve up. Must admit I have little memory of Tele'a so can't judge.
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In all seriousness you'd hope with Trainor there Collins might actually be under some pressure for his spot. Trainor quietly had himself a fucking good NPC.
@kiwimurph You would hope so. He finally seemed to find his feet in the M10 Cup. We'll have to accept that Collins will start at fullback but I do hope that Trainor will at least get a look in if Collins isn't performing. Or who knows, maybe we'll see Collins at centre? We're very light there and Umaga did play Collins there at the end of last season.
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@daffy-jaffy said in Blues 2019:
@nepia I can't see Nonu/SBW starting often rather sharing 12 duties. maybe they will look at Faiane out at centre. He has the pace but has always previously been a 12/10 rather than 12/13 type player. It is a shame that Tele'a was injured for most of the Mitre 10. He is a potent player and will be an important player to develop under the guidance the two grandads but he would be a risk to start at 13 with only really age group rep experience previously.
I was assuming TJ moving out to 13 and the old codgers rotating. But who knows, maybe SBW will fire with consistent gametime and Nonu could carve up. Must admit I have little memory of Tele'a so can't judge.
@nepia Tele'a is only just 20 and 107kgs. He was very good for nZ u20's before getting injured at that comp and has only just started playing again recently.
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@african-monkey That's why we want him as waterboy to communicate the messages coming down from the coaches box.
@daffy-jaffy He's the only one who probably would. The rest probably just ignore Tana.
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@nepia Tele'a is only just 20 and 107kgs. He was very good for nZ u20's before getting injured at that comp and has only just started playing again recently.
@daffy-jaffy he got injured again in Mitre 10 Cup.
Blues tend to have a history of picking impressive U20 players who get injured early on in their career - Faiane, Gibson, to some degree Papali'i etc
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@nepia Tele'a is only just 20 and 107kgs. He was very good for nZ u20's before getting injured at that comp and has only just started playing again recently.
@daffy-jaffy said in Blues 2019:
@nepia Tele'a is only just 20 and 107kgs. He was very good for nZ u20's before getting injured at that comp and has only just started playing again recently.
He didn't get injured at the JWC. He was red-carded for a late and dangerous (high) tackle and got a 3-week suspension.
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@daffy-jaffy said in Blues 2019:
@nepia Tele'a is only just 20 and 107kgs. He was very good for nZ u20's before getting injured at that comp and has only just started playing again recently.
He didn't get injured at the JWC. He was red-carded for a late and dangerous (high) tackle and got a 3-week suspension.
@stargazer Oh yeah - Alzheimer's strikes again. He must have been injured not long after returning home?
