Blues 2025
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So, is that the Blues fucked for the season?
They are a massive disappointment.
And, and, are we seeing that the loosies were the key for the Blues?
If you look at the teams for the Super final last year and this last last week, there aren't that many big differences except the starting front row (Ofa, Renata), no Funaki, no Heem, and the hole at 6 / 7.
Segner is a tryer but they are clearly missing a lot from their loosies.
My feeling is that even with Paps there, they are missing Aki; he was clearly a lot more important to their work than he gets given credit for.
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@gt12 said in Blues 2025:
So, is that the Blues fucked for the season?
They are a massive disappointment.
And, and, are we seeing that the loosies were the key for the Blues?
If you look at the teams for the Super final last year and this last last week, there aren't that many big differences except the starting front row (Ofa, Renata), no Funaki, no Heem, and the hole at 6 / 7.
Segner is a tryer but they are clearly missing a lot from their loosies.
My feeling is that even with Paps there, they are missing Aki; he was clearly a lot more important to their work than he gets given credit for.
The loss of Akira and the injury enforced absence of Hos made it much harder to play their power game, not that they were in the beginning, but I feel the problem for the Blues is lack of depth in the front row and Funaki's absence.
It is obvious to me that a power game requires quick ball to fracture defences. Christie ruins everything he touches because it doesn't matter how effective your carry and clean is if some halfwit takes an age at each ruck letting the defence reset.
Comparing games from last year the eye test says Funaki made better decisions quicker. Without him the Blues are always on the backfoot. Contrast Plummer's form this year with that which gave him two minutes on the field as an All Black - front foot ball makes players look immeasurably better.
Finlay is a shit scrumhalf who actively makes everything harder for his team. Whoever gave him his contract should be investigated for malfeasance.
The lack of depth in the frontrow is astonishing for a team placed in the largest population area. Their set piece shouldn't just be dependable, it should be a weapon.
Then there's the obvious fact that too many of the team make unbelievably stupid decisions at critical times. But that malady is across New Zealand rugby - smart professional rugby players appear to be unicorns.
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I don't think the issue is the forwards and I don't think Segner can be blamed. He doesn't have the same type of impact as Aki but he does impact in other areas
It's the backline starting at Christie. The only back who has shown consistent form is Lam. Evans has probably been next best. Barrett had a couple of good games. The rest have been average to a shower of shite.
All of the following haven't come close to meeting their own standards:
Plummer, Perofeta, Sullivan, Clarke, Telea, Ioane, Forbes and Christie. Christie needs to be replaced. The others need to lift their game and or be replaced. The backs coach needs to face criticism for the performances across the backs. He hasn't got close to the best out of them.
Blues need a new backline coach and Auckland needs a new coach.
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Funaki’s power game around the rucks certainly helped but I’m not blaming their backs (beyond Christie and whoever is at 10) for the fact that they cant get their power game going.
@Duluth probably has stats on this, but id be interested to see what their conversion of 22 entries to points, and stopping 22 entries to points is this year. Last year their scramble defense close to their line was outstanding and equally they were ruthless in the other team’s 22. In these two areas, they look like a different team to last year.
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@brodean the Blues don’t need a new backline they need to completely change their mindset which means a change in Philosophy in and around attack
A new plan with a new attack coach would be a startWithout taking anything away from the Blues last year whilst the style and method was super effective and it won them a title they have tried to roll out the same game plan that doesn’t always involve their outside backs
Everyone knows they come in through the front door and keep hammering their way through the same channel totally ignoring a backline who much be in danger of catching a cold
Friday night they were held up on 4 occasions driving at the line with all those forward charges where was the game drivers directing opportunities?
The stats don’t lie ,this Blues team struggles to score points
So for me it’s a coaching ideology issue -
@Steven-Harris said in Blues 2025:
@brodean the Blues don’t need a new backline they need to completely change their mindset which means a change in Philosophy in and around attack
A new plan with a new attack coach would be a startWithout taking anything away from the Blues last year whilst the style and method was super effective and it won them a title they have tried to roll out the same game plan that doesn’t always involve their outside backs
Everyone knows they come in through the front door and keep hammering their way through the same channel totally ignoring a backline who much be in danger of catching a cold
Friday night they were held up on 4 occasions driving at the line with all those forward charges where was the game drivers directing opportunities?
The stats don’t lie ,this Blues team struggles to score points
So for me it’s a coaching ideology issueThe majority of the backs are in a form slump so they do need a few changes to freshen things up. Mostly importantly Christie should be replaced. Things were better when Nock came on. Christie is a handbreak.
I agree the back coach and attack coach should be replaced but I don't see that happening this year
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@brodean i still maintain if your not getting the ball in your hands frequently its bloody hard to create anything consistantly
Look at the creativety of the Reds just letting the ball do the work opened up opportunites with devasting effect
Agree about BB and Nock as a combo .. -
@antipodean said in Blues 2025:
The lack of depth in the frontrow is astonishing for a team placed in the largest population area. Their set piece shouldn't just be dependable, it should be a weapon.
Agree with a lot of your post but not this part
It was a weapon last year with similar personnel. I believe they gained more scrum penalties than all the other sides. It was a big part of the championship winning side. Right now there are 4 (maybe 5?) props injured. When you have multiple specialists out your are screwed
So for the last two weeks the reserves props come from outside the original squad. That means they weren't selected in the top 30 props in the country. Plus MP picks up another 6 and a bunch of NPC players go over to the US etc when they miss out on squads. When you are dipping down to the ~35-40th props the quality drops a bit
Same situation at hooker earlier in the year. Where depth across the country is really poor. 15 contracted hookers.. about 8 or 9 are goodish and reliable. When you have to dip into the 16-20th hookers you are in big trouble
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@Duluth said in Blues 2025:
Agree with a lot of your post but not this part
Agreeing with this. The population is not a factor. It generates good rugby players, but in the pro era they head around the country.
Kieran Read springs to mind as a recent-ish example.
Front row has struggled. Fusi'tua doesn't seem big enough or good enough in the scrums to me. NZ rugby is no longer developing the world class talents we have seen consistently in the past. And our coaching IP has headed offshore and strengthened others.
Our season was rocked by the losses to teh Brumbies at home and the Landers away. We are very very disappointing at the moment.
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@Duluth said in Blues 2025:
@antipodean said in Blues 2025:
The lack of depth in the frontrow is astonishing for a team placed in the largest population area. Their set piece shouldn't just be dependable, it should be a weapon.
Agree with a lot of your post but not this part
It was a weapon last year with similar personnel. I believe they gained more scrum penalties than all the other sides. It was a big part of the championship winning side. Right now there are 4 (maybe 5?) props injured. When you have multiple specialists out your are screwed
So for the last two weeks the reserves props come from outside the original squad. That means they weren't selected in the top 30 props in the country. Plus MP picks up another 6 and a bunch of NPC players go over to the US etc when they miss out on squads. When you are dipping down to the ~35-40th props the quality drops a bit
Same situation at hooker earlier in the year. Where depth across the country is really poor. 15 contracted hookers.. about 8 or 9 are goodish and reliable. When you have to dip into the 16-20th hookers you are in big trouble
Dead right especially on the props. Mason Tupaea, is he even a starter for Waikato? He looks massively undersized for a prop too.
Hamdahn Tuipulotu. He got let go by Auckland and sent to Southland, where he's mainly on the bench.
These are 2 examples of where our propping stocks are down massively. We have 2 NPC bench props now taking the field for the Blues.
People were on about Fletcher Newell winning the game by demolishing our scrum, like no shit, look at the guy this 30 test AB prop was scrummaging against.
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@African-Monkey I am sure the Blues will be trying to get Sione Ahio back (signed with the Chiefs until 2026).
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@nzzp said in Blues 2025:
Agreeing with this. The population is not a factor. It generates good rugby players, but in the pro era they head around the country.
Kieran Read springs to mind as a recent-ish example.
Certainly, but to my mind the home region should be better placed to identify and retain the best talent.
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@Bovidae said in Blues 2025:
@African-Monkey I am sure the Blues will be trying to get Sione Ahio back (signed with the Chiefs until 2026).
I'm still annoyed we let him go in the first place for PJ sheck.
He'd have played 20+ games by now if we didn't stupidly let him go.
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@antipodean said in Blues 2025:
@nzzp said in Blues 2025:
Agreeing with this. The population is not a factor. It generates good rugby players, but in the pro era they head around the country.
Kieran Read springs to mind as a recent-ish example.
Certainly, but to my mind the home region should be better placed to identify and retain the best talent.
We are better now!
But as someone said very well, the top 15 or so players in each position get snapped up no matter where they are from. So injuries mean you're dipping into a shallow talent pool.
This gets exaggerated by fringe players taking up overseas contracts
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Kieran Read springs to mind as a recent-ish example.
He wasn't really in the Blues system, the Chiefs dropped the ball. He was due to play for Counties and was allowed to play club rugby in the Waikato but got injured and went to Canterbury the year after.
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They might have made an offer. Just remembering from what I read from his book and what I remember from the time. His first year out of school he was still involved with cricket too I think. No Chiefs or Blues U18/20 back then I don't think. I wonder if Waikato put an offer in as well.
