Blues 2021
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@Tim Yes it was Dalzell. I just saw him on one news sport at the mud run. Also spotted Leni Apisai and I think young Auckland prop Fatongia Paea. I wondered what Apisai's inclusion meant for Luteru Tolai, but he may be there also with all three original hookers under injury recovery at present.
@Daffy-Jaffy yea Tolai is there as well
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@Daffy-Jaffy said in Blues 2021:
Robert Rush, Nico Jones and Marco Fepulea'i
Nice spotting. So it looks like the following are in the wider training group:
Teague McElroy (loosehead prop, North Harbour)
Hamdahn Tuipulotu (loosehead prop, Auckland)
Marco Fepulea'i (tighthead prop, Auckland)
Fatongia Paea (tighthead prop, Auckland)
Leni Apisai (hooker, Auckland)
Luteru Tolai (hooker, North Harbour)
Hamish Dalzell (lock, Auckland)
Robert Rush (flanker, Northland)
Niko Jones (flanker, Auckland)
Adrian Choat (flanker, Auckland)
Taufa Funaki (halfback, Auckland)
Josiah Maraku (midfield, Manawatu)
Neria Fomai (midfield, Hawkes Bay)
Antonio Mikaele Tuu (midfield, North Harbour)@Tim said in Blues 2021:
@Daffy-Jaffy said in Blues 2021:
Robert Rush, Nico Jones and Marco Fepulea'i
Nice spotting. So it looks like the following are in the wider training group:
Teague McElroy (loosehead prop, North Harbour)
Marco Fepulea'i (tighthead prop, Auckland)
Fatongia Paea (tighthead prop, Auckland)
Leni Apisai (hooker, Auckland)
Luteru Tolai (hooker, North Harbour)
Hamish Dalzell (lock, Auckland)
Robert Rush (flanker, Northland)
Niko Jones (flanker, Auckland)
Taufa Funaki (halfback, Auckland)
Josiah Maraku (midfield, Manawatu)
Neria Fomai (midfield, Manawatu)
Antonio Mikaele Tuu (midfield, North Harbour)Is that a missprint? Or has he moved? @Stargazer ?
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@Tim said in Blues 2021:
@Daffy-Jaffy said in Blues 2021:
Robert Rush, Nico Jones and Marco Fepulea'i
Nice spotting. So it looks like the following are in the wider training group:
Teague McElroy (loosehead prop, North Harbour)
Marco Fepulea'i (tighthead prop, Auckland)
Fatongia Paea (tighthead prop, Auckland)
Leni Apisai (hooker, Auckland)
Luteru Tolai (hooker, North Harbour)
Hamish Dalzell (lock, Auckland)
Robert Rush (flanker, Northland)
Niko Jones (flanker, Auckland)
Taufa Funaki (halfback, Auckland)
Josiah Maraku (midfield, Manawatu)
Neria Fomai (midfield, Manawatu)
Antonio Mikaele Tuu (midfield, North Harbour)Is that a missprint? Or has he moved? @Stargazer ?
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@Tim said in Blues 2021:
@Nepia said in Blues 2021:
Neria Fomai
Mistake from me.
The province is the mistake, not that he's up there training?
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@Tim said in Blues 2021:
@Nepia said in Blues 2021:
Neria Fomai
Mistake from me.
The province is the mistake, not that he's up there training?
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@Tim said in Blues 2021:
@Nepia said in Blues 2021:
Neria Fomai
Mistake from me.
The province is the mistake, not that he's up there training?
@Nepia Province is the mistake, not that he's training with the Blues. Watch the second video in this article; at approx. 26 secs you can see him clearly. Wearing a dark red shirt, dark grey shorts and black leggings. Knowing that, you can also see him in the first video.
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@Nepia Province is the mistake, not that he's training with the Blues. Watch the second video in this article; at approx. 26 secs you can see him clearly. Wearing a dark red shirt, dark grey shorts and black leggings. Knowing that, you can also see him in the first video.
@Stargazer great quote from Kurt Eklund
"Mum used to tell me off for doing that kind of stuff - now I get paid for it. How good?
Edit: fixed autocorrect and formatting
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This from an espn report about where Argentinian players are contracted - "the rumor that links Santiago Chocobares with Blues seems to have waned". If so that likely leaves Maraku, Fomai and Mikaele-Tuu competing for the final full squad position. Fomai would be my pick on experience and I like his sevens pace. The other two would likely be happy to stay involved in a wtg/development spot at their age.
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It's going to be interesting what the Blues do at 12 early on without Faiane.
If Chocobares is not coming then it gets interesting.
You could put Plummer at 12 but they tried that in 2020 for Blues and it failed against NZ teams - Blues only 2 losses in SRA came with Plummer at 12. There other options are rookies or Rieko/Tele'a at 12.
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It's going to be interesting what the Blues do at 12 early on without Faiane.
If Chocobares is not coming then it gets interesting.
You could put Plummer at 12 but they tried that in 2020 for Blues and it failed against NZ teams - Blues only 2 losses in SRA came with Plummer at 12. There other options are rookies or Rieko/Tele'a at 12.
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@KiwiMurph Leon might have been training the house down in the off season.
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@Tim said in Blues 2021:
Any news on what Choat is up to?
@Nogusta said in Blues 2021:
@Tim hes in there as well, preseason cover.
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I wish someone in the Blues organisation had balls to have selected Moses Leo ..he was the outstanding midfield back in North Harbour rugby , is one of the few midfielders that has top end pace and more importantly looks for an outside gap .
.that ability was there for everyone to see at the ignite 7s..has just signed a contract with NZ 7s ..already know of 4 Mitre 10 cup unions chasing him..both Southland and Hawkes Bay highly interested ..the midfielders the Blues have in the wider training squad don’t do it for me -
It's going to be interesting what the Blues do at 12 early on without Faiane.
If Chocobares is not coming then it gets interesting.
You could put Plummer at 12 but they tried that in 2020 for Blues and it failed against NZ teams - Blues only 2 losses in SRA came with Plummer at 12. There other options are rookies or Rieko/Tele'a at 12.
@KiwiMurph said in Blues 2021:
It's going to be interesting what the Blues do at 12 early on without Faiane.
If Chocobares is not coming then it gets interesting.
You could put Plummer at 12 but they tried that in 2020 for Blues and it failed against NZ teams - Blues only 2 losses in SRA came with Plummer at 12. There other options are rookies or Rieko/Tele'a at 12.
Tele'a would be my pick. The biggest question would be over his distribution.
Plummer is still learning at 12 and makes some bad reads on defence. Long term he'll wind up at 12 though
No way to moving Ioane. It's a waste of pace. Also look at highlights of the Blues tries last year - a good portion were created by the combo RI at 13 had with Clarke. I don't want to break that up.
