Rebels v Blues

[Tim]

@Duluth Prop injuries are the biggest risk for the championship, so it will be interesting to see if PJ Sheck and the replacement loosehead (anyone know who that is?) get some game time. Pat T might need a break after the Reds game too. I'd expect some rotation against the Highlanders too. Some against the Chiefs as it is the last game before the playoffs?

1 ?
2 Riccitelli
3 Reneta?
4 Darry
5 McWhannell
6 Choat/Thompson
7 Segner
8 Ioane

9 Funaki
10 Plummer
11 Clarke
12 Evans
13 Ioane
14 Tangitau
15 Forbes

16 Eklund
17 Fusitua
18 Sheck
19 Tuipulotu
20 Thompson/Choat
21 Nock
22 Lam
23 Heem/Cashmore

[Daffy Jaffy]

@Tim said in Rebels v Blues:

replacement loosehead (anyone know who that is?)

Ben Ake has been with the team all season, but he has not been announced as a full squad replacement. Maybe they are keeping that spare place open for Barrett to return from Japan?

[African Monkey]

I see Charlie Faumuina is playing club rugby for Papatoetoe these days. Is there anything to read into that?

[KiwiMurph]

@African-Monkey said in Rebels v Blues:

I see Charlie Faumuina is playing club rugby for Papatoetoe these days. Is there anything to read into that?

He isn't exactly in 'Super' shape.....

[African Monkey]

@KiwiMurph No haha, but I don't see him just coming back to play club rugby without something else lined up, unless of course he just wants to give back to Papatoetoe.

[pakman]

@African-Monkey said in Rebels v Blues:

@KiwiMurph No haha, but I don't see him just coming back to play club rugby without something else lined up, unless of course he just wants to give back to Papatoetoe.

League on Sundays?

[Duluth]

They've been using Lam as 12/13/wing cover a lot.

He's had starts at 13 but has only subbed on at 12. It might be worth giving him a start at 12

[Duluth]

https://www.blues.rugby/blues-rugby-news/team-naming-rebels

1 Ofa Tu’ungafasi
2 Ricky Riccitelli
3 PJ Sheck*
4 Patrick Tuipulotu (c)
5 Laghlan McWhannell
6 Anton Segner
7 Dalton Papali’i
8 Hoskins Sotutu
9 Taufa Funaki
10 Harry Plummer
11 Caleb Clarke
12 AJ Lam
13 Rieko Ioane
14 Mark Tele’a
15 Cole Forbes

16 Kurt Eklund
17 Joshua Fusitu’a
18 Marcel Renata
19 Sam Darry
20 Cam Suafoa
21 Sam Nock
22 Corey Evans
23 Bryce Heem

Players not considered: Finlay Christie (groin), Stephen Perofeta (shoulder), Zarn Sullivan (knee), Rob Rush (calf), Akira Ioane (paternity leave)

[Duluth]

Ha I guessed the unusual selection

[Duluth]

Great to see Suafoa back

[Duluth]

Isaac Kailea, Jordan Uelese, Taniela Tupou, Angelo Smith, Josh Canham, Josh Kemeny, Vaiolini Ekuasi, Rob Leota (c), Ryan Louwrens, Carter Gordon, Darby Lancaster, David Feliuai, Matt Proctor, Filipo Daugunu, Andrew Kellaway

Reserves: Ethan Dobbins, Matt Gibbon, Sam Talakai, Tuaina Taii Tualima, Maciu Nabolakasi, Jack Maunder, Jake Strachan, Lachie Anderson

[taniwharugby]

@Duluth said in Rebels v Blues:

Rob Rush (calf)

He played half a game last weekend at club and was running freely, no strapping or anything on his calf.

[African Monkey]

@Duluth Hmmm, can't say I'm a fan of it. Obviously the coaches see something there but I haven't seen anything to suggest that he could make it as a 12.

[Duluth]

@African-Monkey said in Rebels v Blues:

@Duluth Hmmm, can't say I'm a fan of it. Obviously the coaches see something there but I haven't seen anything to suggest that he could make it as a 12.

Yeah I'm not sure about 12 either. It's about making sure the bench utility has game time in all the positions he's covering though. Thinking about contingencies for later in the year

Evans had a bad game at 15 and he doesn't look great at 13. That essentially rules him out of the utility role unless there are injuries

Having said that, if everyone is fit maybe Plummer is at 12 and Heem is the bench utility and Lam doesn't make the 23

[KiwiMurph]

@Duluth said in Rebels v Blues:

Having said that, if everyone is fit maybe Plummer is at 12 and Heem is the bench utility and Lam doesn't make the 23

If everyone is fit on form Perofeta is on the bench 10 Plummer 12 Heem

[KiwiMurph]

@Duluth said in Rebels v Blues:

Great to see Suafoa back

This is the real news.

I thought I heard Stern Vern say a couple of weeks back that Suafoa was back training and ready to play soon. Awesome news!

[Duluth]

@KiwiMurph

Maybe

Not sure where the coaches rate some of these guys yet. If they are really happy with Plummer then Perofeta could be a fullback option too.

Some tough decisions coming up

[Duluth]

@KiwiMurph said in Rebels v Blues:

I thought I heard Stern Vern say a couple of weeks back that Suafoa was back training and ready to play soon

Yeah I think a stuff article screwed it up and made it sound like he was leaving the squad

[Daffy Jaffy]

Referee: Angus Gardner

Assistant Referees: Matt Kellahan, James Palmer

[Tim]

@Daffy-Jaffy said in Rebels v Blues:

Referee: Angus Gardner

Looking forward to some random scrum penalties.