Blues 2018

[Duluth]

@taniwharugby said in Blues 2018:

Tana on radio sport just now...would not confirm/deny if has re-signed for 2019

Starts at 7mins 20s on this link(mp3 file), continues on this link

[Stargazer]

Blues 'A' trails 12 - 13 after 30 minutes. I only just started watching, so I don't know who scored the first try. The second was scored by Malo Tuitama. Japan 'A' just scored off a driving maul.

The game is Live on Sky Sport 1.

[Stargazer]

Lyndon Dunshea scored the Blues 'A' third try.

Half time: Blues 'A' 17 - 13 Japan 'A' (3 tries to 1)

[Stargazer]

Tuitama - Campbell - Tuitama - Campbell and the latter scores! Great try. Blues 'A' now leads 24 to 13.

[Stargazer]

Now a very good try to Japan 'A'. The Blues struggle a bit when they have to defend against a line-out maul.

24 - 20 Blues 'A'

[Stargazer]

Awesome try to Japan. Tuitama earns a yellow card for taking someone out in the air. I'd have to see a replay of that, but my initial thought was that he was going to have red.

It's 27 all.

[Stargazer]

Japan makes good use of the one-man-more and score after the hooter.

Full time: Blues 'A' 27 - 34 Japan 'A'

Japan 'A' wins its second game in NZ and will play Hurricanes Development next week.

[Tim]

Fun fact: the Chairman of the Blues board is also a director of Fletcher Building.

[nzzp]

@tim said in Blues 2018:

Fun fact: the Chairman of the Blues board is also a director of Fletcher Building.

ha ha, clearly expert in not knowing what the hell is going on in the organisations

[Tim]

Another board member, Kate Daly, was their HR person until recently.

[Tim]

The best and the worst managers - sharechat.co.nz

Murray Bolton

This audacious former management buyout dealmaker has been off the corporate scene for years, but his management style came under the spotlight this month when he and three other directors of Skellerup subsidiary DML Resources paid $7 million to settle a reckless trading case. Maine Investments-linked companies DML, Levene's and Palmers Garden Centres collapsed under the weight of debt after the Bolton-led MBO.

[Bovidae]

You couldn't accuse the Blues of overspending!

[Tim]

@bovidae What's your view on Redman?

[Bovidae]

Redman was well thought of as mayor but his time as the CEO is certainly tainted by the V8 debacle. He did have a background in sports, including being one of the founders of the Breakers.

[Machpants]

Interesting article

How to fix the Blues - What the other teams are doing the Blues aren't

The Blues have lost their way, lost the interest of Aucklanders and the players and coaching staff look lost for answers. How did this happen? What we do know is that other teams do things differently and are having far more success.

[pakman]

I can't say I'm convinced by Tana, but I agree that the problems run far deeper.
A competitive Blues team naturally follows from Auckland being in the top two or three in the Mitre 10.
With all the resources this in fact the MINIMUM which ought to be acceptable to the Auckland union.
Reminds me of what happened to Transvaal, traditionally the strongest Bok province, but for many years reduced to whipping boys.
Don't know how they changed things, but as long suffering Blues supporter 'I want what they had'!

[antipodean]

@machpants I found this bit illuminating:
Currently, every player that grew up outside of the Blues region that is on the Blues roster did not go through a Blues academy. Meaning, they went through someone else’s academy and that franchise let them go.

[Duluth]

@antipodean

That line from the article is an exaggeration. Saying other franchises ‘let them go’ is more dramatic but isn’t always accurate. Some players were offered contracts by their local franchise and the Blues.. then they opted for the Blues (more money or more opportunities in a particular position)

The article also misses an important point about Blues academy players being poached by other teams. This happens because Kirwan/Umaga have been poor at promoting the good players that were under their own noses. Also, players will opt to play for a well coached full side if they have multiple options.

A chicken and the egg situation.. Yup the wider organisation has problems but I see this as another article absolving the celebrity coach of responsibility.
There is no accountability at the Blues. No media pressure on the board or coaches, no expectation on the players.

[Rapido]

@pakman said in Blues 2018:

Transvaal

Digressing.

But Transvaal are not traditionally the strongest Bok province. Northern Transvaal and Western Province far and away the top two (equivalent of Auckland and Canterbury).

Transvaal more like Wellington. The traditional big under achiever.

[taniwharugby]

@duluth that article, along with others mentions the likes of Jack Goodhue, who was never going to stay due to education, so he (and others in similar circumstances) was never really 'lost' to the Blues.