Blues 2023

[Bovidae]

Newshub showed some brief footage of the Blues bronco today. Jock McKenzie was the best of those there, so is involved.

[taniwharugby]

Looks like a few extras at pre-season

https://www.instagram.com/p/ClXHQsSS33m/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

[Daffy Jaffy]

@taniwharugby spotted Lisati Milo-Harris, Sione Ahio and I think Josh Beehre in the video.

[Daffy Jaffy]

Jordan Lay and young Byron Smith are also training with the team.

[Daffy Jaffy]

Allan Craig is also training with the team.

[taniwharugby]

@Daffy-Jaffy yeah AB cover...which is odd for pre-season training.

So he's doing Pat T's pre season work haha

[Machpants]

@taniwharugby said in Blues 2023:

@Daffy-Jaffy yeah AB cover...which is odd for pre-season training.

So he's doing Pat T's pre season work haha

Sign me up for that gig - not

[Tim]

https://www.instagram.com/p/Clph-5Vpok_/

Tanielu Teleʻa has recovered from injury? Hope he can stay healthy all season.

[Tim]

Anyone know when Caleb Tangitau will join the team?

[Daffy Jaffy]

Frombluesrugbyteam

We are sad to announce the departure of one of the greats!

Big Ben Afeaki is heading off to the big apple to take on an awesome opportunity

Thank you for everything you’ve done here at the Blues! We look forward to watching your journey

I wonder if they will approach Census Johnson. He did very well with Auckland's scrum this season.

[Stargazer]

@Tim Just guessing, but I assume his sevens contract was until the end of 2022, so that would mean that he'll join the Blues in January?

[Duluth]

@Daffy-Jaffy said in Blues 2023:

I wonder if they will approach Census Johnson. He did very well with Auckland's scrum this season.

That seems likely

Although earlier in this thread @Yeetyaah said that Afoa was going to be involved with the Blues next year

[Yeetyaah]

@Duluth yeah that came from a whānau member so I'd say it's a reliable source.

[Stargazer]

https://twitter.com/BluesRugbyTeam/status/1599858246642446336

https://www.blues.rugby/blues-rugby-news/tito-joins-coaching-group

[Daffy Jaffy]

[Daffy Jaffy]

Terrell Peita was training with the team today. I thought he was off to MLR. Maybe just joined in to keep fit?

[Tim]

https://www.rugbypass.com/plus/i-still-cant-really-talk-about-it-zarn-sullivan-on-the-comeback-trail/

“That was meant to be six weeks of healing and then we would reassess from there,” he says. “So I was aiming to be back for the Taranaki game, just before the quarter-finals, but it just dragged on and on and on.

“The physios and stuff, we were just trying to smash it with rehab and we noticed that it just wasn’t waking up so I had to get nerve conduction studies and CT scans and MRIs on it. We had to do full-on scanning stuff for it.

“But now we know what’s actually wrong with it, the nerve’s not waking up. So we’ve just got to give it time and then just keep hammering the muscles that are around it that kind of support the same muscle, same nerve.”

Sullivan says the nerve is “still weak” but that he is now aiming for a return to full-contact training on either side of the new year.

“It’s still hard to know. I know it’s getting better, pain-free, and I’m getting through my workload so can hopefully get back into contact whether it’s our last week of pre-season in 2022 or the start of pre-season next year. I know it’s coming soon but yeah, still just got to take my time.”

[antipodean]

@Dan54 said in All Blacks 10 after BB & RM finish?:

I not sure if I should mention his name ,(haven't checked thread), but I actually was a real Zarn Sullivan fan a couple of years back, and could see him at 10. Has that door closed do you think, like his booming left foot etc, and wouldn't mind seeing him get a few runs for Blues this year.

Is that a likely proposition given Perofeta would be looking for all the game time he can get when Beaudy isn't playing?

[Duluth]

@antipodean said in Blues 2023:

@Dan54 said in All Blacks 10 after BB & RM finish?:

I not sure if I should mention his name ,(haven't checked thread), but I actually was a real Zarn Sullivan fan a couple of years back, and could see him at 10. Has that door closed do you think, like his booming left foot etc, and wouldn't mind seeing him get a few runs for Blues this year.

Is that a likely proposition given Perofeta would be looking for all the game time he can get when Beaudy isn't playing?

First of all he needs to get on the field. 2021 NPC was ruined by covid, 2022 NPC started well but he missed the last nine games through injury.
He was fit through most of the 2022 SR season. However he had some niggles and a couple of below par performances that pushed him back in the pecking order when everyone was fit

The second issue is that he has shown great form at fullback but hasn't replicated that form when he has shifted to 10 late in games.

He has potential at 10 but he needs to stay fit and play better in those cameo's at 10 to earn a start in that position.

Ideally experimentation would happen at NPC level but the he's had 5 matches in 2 years

[Dan54]

@antipodean said in Blues 2023:

@Dan54 said in All Blacks 10 after BB & RM finish?:

I not sure if I should mention his name ,(haven't checked thread), but I actually was a real Zarn Sullivan fan a couple of years back, and could see him at 10. Has that door closed do you think, like his booming left foot etc, and wouldn't mind seeing him get a few runs for Blues this year.

Is that a likely proposition given Perofeta would be looking for all the game time he can get when Beaudy isn't playing?

Yep understand that and think Perofeta might just be ok too, was throwing Sullivan as a nother option. Isn't it funny thing back tp Perofeta being the next best thing and playing for Blues against Lions , where he looked like what he was a fella who was maybe a bit young.