Blues 2019
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@nzzp well someone needs to listen no use saying no kidding because it’s not getting any better let’s see next year as you have resigned Parsons that must be the Blues year oops another old pot shot
@Chris said in Blues 2019:
@nzzp well someone needs to listen no use saying no kidding because it’s not getting any better let’s see next year as you have resigned Parsons that must be the Blues year oops another old pot shot
Rancid bait. You'll have more Blues fans agreeing he's not a front line hooker at this level - fine as a squaddie working in the background.
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@Chris said in Blues 2019:
@nzzp well someone needs to listen no use saying no kidding because it’s not getting any better let’s see next year as you have resigned Parsons that must be the Blues year oops another old pot shot
Rancid bait. You'll have more Blues fans agreeing he's not a front line hooker at this level - fine as a squaddie working in the background.
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Finlay Christie to the Blues next year.
@Canes4life fukin hell imagine close the doors Blues would go the same way as the Sunwolves if that happened
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Finlay Christie are you fucken joking!
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Anymore average Ta$man players wanna sign for us? Isaac Salmon and Tim O'Malley will probably follow.
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Thought Christie was decent for Ta$man last year, but he hasn't done well at all with his chances at the Canes.
Hard to figure out what other halfbacks we should bring in. Maybe we should scout Japan for a halfback. The halfbacks I've seen from there seem to all have a sweet pass and fast service.
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@Stargazer ew, i’d rather Nock.
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@Chris said in Blues 2019:
@nzzp Very True the Crusaders success is not only built around the environment but in their recruitment and coaching of the development players they have/recruit they are very very good at it.
It's a cheap shot, but I'll keep reminding you Crusader fans you let Brodie get away until hell freezes over (or the Blues win another title)
. No system is perfect, and it's hard to pick youths.Auckland famously had the choice between Peter Saili and Kieran Read as 8s. Physically, Saili was immense ... but he'sa footnote in history, and KR is AB Captain and at his peak an incredible player.
Edit: and of course most recently Bryn Hall. Talked up as a possible AB squaddie - but didn't cover himself in glory in the Blues setup
@@nzzp Peter Saiili physically had the body shape to dominate, but that’s about where it ended , his core skills were quite frankly bloody awful..the number of times he got caught behind the scrum, I would lose count..and when he dropped back in the pocket to defuse a box kick, there was an 80% chance he would drop the ball cold..
One of the poorest selections the Blues ever made..incredible that he had 6 seasons with the Auckland franchise playing 70 x games..
I pointed Colin Bourke who was an unbelievably talented no 8 who had played for both Bays with a skill set that’s made Saili look Ordinary to say the least to Bryce Woodward whom I had close relationship with.
He came back to me ,and informed me Pat Lam did not rate him, and had the numbers 8s covered at the time..
One of them was Saiili ,the other 8s were Viliamu Mafu and a very average Ponsonby no 8 by the name of Chris lowery ..
Tells you a lot about Pat Lam’s inability as a selector to actually recognise a skillful player..
The crazy thing is, Saiili kept getting selected for another 5 bloody years...in his final starting turning up to training with Alcohol on his breath... -
@Stargazer ew, i’d rather Nock.
@Canes4life don’t be surprised if Nock ends up at the Canes or the Highlanders.
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@@nzzp Peter Saiili physically had the body shape to dominate, but that’s about where it ended , his core skills were quite frankly bloody awful..the number of times he got caught behind the scrum, I would lose count..and when he dropped back in the pocket to defuse a box kick, there was an 80% chance he would drop the ball cold..
One of the poorest selections the Blues ever made..incredible that he had 6 seasons with the Auckland franchise playing 70 x games..
I pointed Colin Bourke who was an unbelievably talented no 8 who had played for both Bays with a skill set that’s made Saili look Ordinary to say the least to Bryce Woodward whom I had close relationship with.
He came back to me ,and informed me Pat Lam did not rate him, and had the numbers 8s covered at the time..
One of them was Saiili ,the other 8s were Viliamu Mafu and a very average Ponsonby no 8 by the name of Chris lowery ..
Tells you a lot about Pat Lam’s inability as a selector to actually recognise a skillful player..
The crazy thing is, Saiili kept getting selected for another 5 bloody years...in his final starting turning up to training with Alcohol on his breath...@Steven-Harris said in Blues 2019:
@@nzzp Peter Saiili physically had the body shape to dominate, but that’s about where it ended , his core skills were quite frankly bloody awful..the number of times he got caught behind the scrum, I would lose count..and when he dropped back in the pocket to defuse a box kick, there was an 80% chance he would drop the ball cold..
One of the poorest selections the Blues ever made..incredible that he had 6 seasons with the Auckland franchise playing 70 x games..
I pointed Colin Bourke who was an unbelievably talented no 8 who had played for both Bays with a skill set that’s made Saili look Ordinary to say the least to Bryce Woodward whom I had close relationship with.
He came back to me ,and informed me Pat Lam did not rate him, and had the numbers 8s covered at the time..
One of them was Saiili ,the other 8s were Viliamu Mafu and a very average Ponsonby no 8 by the name of Chris lowery ..
Tells you a lot about Pat Lam’s inability as a selector to actually recognise a skillful player..
The crazy thing is, Saiili kept getting selected for another 5 bloody years...in his final starting turning up to training with Alcohol on his breath...Chiefs didn't rate Bourke either. Neither did the other NZ teams it seemed.
Viliami Ma'afu was awesome in his lone season with us though. Was probably the form 8 in Super Rugby that year.
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@Steven-Harris said in Blues 2019:
@@nzzp Peter Saiili physically had the body shape to dominate, but that’s about where it ended , his core skills were quite frankly bloody awful..the number of times he got caught behind the scrum, I would lose count..and when he dropped back in the pocket to defuse a box kick, there was an 80% chance he would drop the ball cold..
One of the poorest selections the Blues ever made..incredible that he had 6 seasons with the Auckland franchise playing 70 x games..
I pointed Colin Bourke who was an unbelievably talented no 8 who had played for both Bays with a skill set that’s made Saili look Ordinary to say the least to Bryce Woodward whom I had close relationship with.
He came back to me ,and informed me Pat Lam did not rate him, and had the numbers 8s covered at the time..
One of them was Saiili ,the other 8s were Viliamu Mafu and a very average Ponsonby no 8 by the name of Chris lowery ..
Tells you a lot about Pat Lam’s inability as a selector to actually recognise a skillful player..
The crazy thing is, Saiili kept getting selected for another 5 bloody years...in his final starting turning up to training with Alcohol on his breath...Chiefs didn't rate Bourke either. Neither did the other NZ teams it seemed.
Viliami Ma'afu was awesome in his lone season with us though. Was probably the form 8 in Super Rugby that year.
@Dice Bourke still had more skill than of the 3 no8s ,so your telling me Saiili and Lowery were better selections..?
Saiili was mud and Lowery no better..real home town selections in my opinion ,if Mafu was that good, why was he not re signed for another season..? -
@Dice Bourke still had more skill than of the 3 no8s ,so your telling me Saiili and Lowery were better selections..?
Saiili was mud and Lowery no better..real home town selections in my opinion ,if Mafu was that good, why was he not re signed for another season..?@Steven-Harris Nah, I'm just saying no other team seemed to rate him either.
Ma'afu was pretty skillful but he also had the physicality to go along with it. I rated him higher than Bourke.
I'm wondering if Bourke was too skillful for his own good as he was a bit of an odd ball player and played so differently to any other 8.
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@Dice Bourke still had more skill than of the 3 no8s ,so your telling me Saiili and Lowery were better selections..?
Saiili was mud and Lowery no better..real home town selections in my opinion ,if Mafu was that good, why was he not re signed for another season..?@Steven-Harris said in Blues 2019:
@Dice Bourke still had more skill than of the 3 no8s ,so your telling me Saiili and Lowery were better selections..?
Saiili was mud and Lowery no better..real home town selections in my opinion ,if Mafu was that good, why was he not re signed for another season..?I'm sure we wanted to sign him again, but he got a decent overseas offer and left right away for it.
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https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=12242648
Might be hope for Blues in 2020
A first five who can actually kick the ball and organise a backline
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@Steven-Harris Nah, I'm just saying no other team seemed to rate him either.
Ma'afu was pretty skillful but he also had the physicality to go along with it. I rated him higher than Bourke.
I'm wondering if Bourke was too skillful for his own good as he was a bit of an odd ball player and played so differently to any other 8.
@Dice Yes I like how no one else seemed to rate Colin Bourke yet we get criticised for not signing him but yes, Saili was poor for a lot of his tenure. His hands were terrible. Dare I say him being a St Peter's boy enhanced his reputation with Pat Lam. Funnily enough, I thought 2013-2014 were his best seasons for us and he definitely outplayed Luatua in 2014.
Don't even get me started with Chris Lowrey he was awful.
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@Dice Bourke still had more skill than of the 3 no8s ,so your telling me Saiili and Lowery were better selections..?
Saiili was mud and Lowery no better..real home town selections in my opinion ,if Mafu was that good, why was he not re signed for another season..?@Steven-Harris said in Blues 2019:
@Dice Bourke still had more skill than of the 3 no8s ,so your telling me Saiili and Lowery were better selections..?
Saiili was mud and Lowery no better..real home town selections in my opinion ,if Mafu was that good, why was he not re signed for another season..?The problem with Bourke wasn’t his skills (which were exceptional). It was his willingness to do any hard work whatsoever.
The bloke thought he was part of the backline and spent the whole game playing that way.
