NPC 2025

[foobaNZ]

I agree we'll be there or thereabouts, but, we've had a bit of a golden generation recently (a shame we couldn't threepeat tbh) so it'll be harder from here on out.

[mikey07]

@foobaNZ 2/3 is still better then the 22 years we had to wait between titles.

[Daffy Jaffy]

Blues media saying that Jordan Lay will play for Northland next season.

[taniwharugby]

@Daffy-Jaffy yeah Northland rugby posted yesterday congratulating Northland contracted players which included an image of Lay, while I had heard they were in talks with him, it was a 'sneaky player' announcement.

[george33]

Auckland after a new head coach, Craig has committed to the Blues,

[Daffy Jaffy]

@george33 Hopefully that comes with a quality attack coach. The Forwards and defense were ok last two seasons but our attack was woefully clunky under Hickey.
Would Steven Bates have the inside running for head coach? He has been in the system for a while now.

[george33]

@Daffy-Jaffy don't think Bates is keen ,or been told no thanks.

[taniwharugby]

@Daffy-Jaffy he was/is the Auckland U21 coach isnt he, and Blues U21 previously? Would seem he is moving in the wrong direction to go straight upto an NPC HC role?

[Bovidae]

Yeah, Bates has been the coach of the Blues U18s and U20s. Coaching a team to play a handful of games is very different to a full NPC campaign.

[Duluth]

@taniwharugby

He's been the forwards coach for 3 years. The forwards have generally been ok

Hickey must go

It's probably makes sense to have an entirely new group