Blues 2017
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Yep Waterfront stadium sounds cool - a bit too good to be true but hopefully it gets gaining momentum.
Yeah Blues obviously cop a lot of flak but have been playing pretty darn well lately (without a really quality 10). Sure the maul defence needs some work and they struggle to go the full 80 but theyve consistently put together some good halves the last few games. The team certainly looks to have a bit of spine/belief about them. I think they've actually been playing better than the Highlanders the last couple of weeks but the Highlanders have managed to get over the line for some close wins.
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@KiwiMurph I keep banging on that if we were to win those two games against the highlanders (both very close), all of a sudden yuo're locked into playoff contention.
Narrow margins in this comp. Maybe we should secede and go and win the Aussie pool
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@nzzp expect the Aussies would then want access to some of the players too
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@taniwharugby said in Blues 2017:
@nzzp expect the Aussies would then want access to some of the players too
You mean like the whole beckon lot of them?
How'd you like to be Cheika at the moment? He has to select a team from the muppet show and has Statler and Waldorf as his assistants. At the state they are in he'd select James Parsons headgear by itself.
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@Crucial Was listening to someone on the radio last week, and Parsons was listed as a name behind Taylor if Coles doesnt get better...seriously, fuck off!
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@taniwharugby said in Blues 2017:
@Crucial Was listening to someone on the radio last week, and Parsons was listed as a name behind Taylor if Coles doesnt get better...seriously, fuck off!
I don't mind him that much as a stopgap. He's a fairly sold player that gives his all. Sadly his all isn't much.
Harris will be in the picture though as they obviously see him in long term plans by his recent signing. Unless Coltman blotted his copybook on tour last year he is also thereabouts.
I don't know the feelings in the ABs around Elliott but he is also a much better player than Parsons. Accurate at the line out, strong in the scrum and makes ground with the ball. -
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@Tim said in Blues 2017:
I haven't seen anything other than "promising" from Harris. Will he even be a clear starter at the Chiefs? Can anyone point to a physically dominant performance from him?
Bit difficult when you are always injured. Whatever the AB coaches have seen is enough to make them want to keep him around though.
I suspect it is more that he has the potential to play like Coles. He is a bit more athletic than some of the others. -
we know the AB selectors dont often throw someone away due to injury, they obviously see something in Harris, and you'd have to think if Coles doesnt get back, and Harris is fit, he would be the back up to Taylor, and Coltman 3rd cab off the ranks?
Parsons isnt really more of a stop gap than someone like Riccitelli woulda been before struggling with the physcallity over the weekend, and physicality isnt really a strength of Parsons either.
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@Bones hes always been pretty accurate (aside form it taking him about 4 weeks to get back into his groove this year) but I've never really seen him dominate opposition players on offence or defence and certainly doesnt fill me full of confidence if he was to be selected in black.
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@taniwharugby if he continued to play like he did in the bits I saw I wouldn't be too troubled. Can't say I'd be too enthusiastic as it is though, Would be a tough bet out of first penalty/scrum from Franks offside / Moody foul play / Parsons majestic handling error. Good old front row club.
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@KiwiMurph I've noticed all the Blues squad members from outside the Blues region have been thrown to Ponsonby. It's usually been spread around in previous seasons.
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@African-Monkey might be a bit of a plan to make it easier for out of towners to acclimatise to Auckland. Keep them together for a high quality central city club.
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And why not the Mighty Eden?
