Blues 2025
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@Landers92 said in Blues 2025:
@SouthernMann what the warriors can do is offer players money straight out of school, something academies have never done. Hard not to turn down cash at that age. Comes down to how much a player backs themselves in an academy really doesn’t it
Not reading the Reddit, but some thought beyond the playing career may be appropriate. Look at the doors rugby can open across Europe and the world that League may not.
Kid's got to weigh up how far he thinks he may go.
Works in all sorts of ways Look at ENS. Got out of his league contract but hasn't kicked on as I'm sure he hoped he might.
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@booboo said in Blues 2025:
@Landers92 said in Blues 2025:
@SouthernMann what the warriors can do is offer players money straight out of school, something academies have never done. Hard not to turn down cash at that age. Comes down to how much a player backs themselves in an academy really doesn’t it
Not reading the Reddit, but some thought beyond the playing career may be appropriate. Look at the doors rugby can open across Europe and the world that League may not.
Kid's got to weigh up how far he thinks he may go.
Works in all sorts of ways Look at ENS. Got out of his league contract but hasn't kicked on as I'm sure he hoped he might.
Injuries haven't been kind to ENS.
I'd still have him at the Blues
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His playing weight for the last two seasons at the Blues is 114kg so I don't see any need for him to put on more weight. If anything he's got too much weight for openside - it's to help with the cleans but I think it would hinder his carry ability and agility.
Agree. I think he's gotten too big.
His agility around the park was one of his best assets.
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@brodean said in Blues 2025:
@booboo said in Blues 2025:
@Landers92 said in Blues 2025:
@SouthernMann what the warriors can do is offer players money straight out of school, something academies have never done. Hard not to turn down cash at that age. Comes down to how much a player backs themselves in an academy really doesn’t it
Not reading the Reddit, but some thought beyond the playing career may be appropriate. Look at the doors rugby can open across Europe and the world that League may not.
Kid's got to weigh up how far he thinks he may go.
Works in all sorts of ways Look at ENS. Got out of his league contract but hasn't kicked on as I'm sure he hoped he might.
Injuries haven't been kind to ENS.
I'd still have him at the Blues
Assuming he stays injury free, he'll likely get a relatively uninterrupted run at fullback for the Chiefs next year. Only spanner, as always, is if McKenzie is given game time at 15 - which he hopefully isn't.
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@brodean said in Blues 2025:
Cullen Grace would be a good get. He's been doing well off the bench and would be a good option at 6.
@Tim and @Duluth would approve, they're both huge fans of him.
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@African-Monkey said in Blues 2025:
@brodean said in Blues 2025:
Cullen Grace would be a good get. He's been doing well off the bench and would be a good option at 6.
@Tim and @Duluth would approve, they're both huge fans of him.
I'm not suggesting he should be in the All Blacks. He has experience in multiple title wins and has had plenty of good games at Super level. Darry and Romano have been good for us.
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@KiwiMurph I guess some people only see what they want to see. Came on in both the semi final and the final and did what he does best, carry hard and fast into contact and win line-outs. It was only a few years ago when he was the main component of the lineout in the final against the Blues at Eden Park and was praised for his ability to disrupt the opposition ball. I noticed him come off the bench in these last two games and have that same presence at lineout time. And in the final despite apparently being anaonymous, I recall him instantly taking about three carries as soon as he came on the field and all being strong through contact and breaking the advantage line.
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@Trig I'm not anti Cullen Grace. I could understand why he was brought into the ABs 5 years ago but I just don't think he's playing to the same level he was back then.
I'm not talking about the Blues Crusaders final from 2022, I'm talking about next season, 2026
I take the point about the lineout but I think he's weak defensively around the field and I think his ball carrying is overstated (also see the stats on the other thread).
Blues definitely have a need at 6 but Grace is not a 6 and whilst he's a bigger body I'm not sure he solves anything except taking up playing time that would go to another loosie.
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We need to replace Choat and Suafoa. These guys had quite a few years of experience, contributed over the season, but they've never been guaranteed starters. We need like for like. We can't just have a whole bunch of noobs with little game time in the loose forwards.
Grace is experienced, has won multiple titles, and at 25 is coming to his peak years.
Anyway there's other guys around like Inisi, maybe Ekuasi, but I think it's important we get players with solid experience.
