Blues 2019

[Nogusta]

@tim said in Blues 2019:

Talea looked very promising for NZ U20, but is he going to be ready for Super Rugby starts next year? What position does he prefer?

Tele'a has had a bit of an injury run this year. High ankle sprain playing for Blues A, hip and knee injury for NZ20s, aggravated the knee training with the Blues then hurt his shoulder in his comeback game vs BOP preseason. Match fitness will obviously be an issue if he gets a run with the Mitre 10 side.
Not sure if he'll be ready for starts next year. The fact hes on a draft would maybe indicate the Blues think so as well and will look to develop him slowly perhaps?
Hes probably played both 12 and 13 equally in recent times. Doesn't look to have the pace or the skillset to play wing.
His strengths i reckon would be his workrate, footwork pre-contact and offload ability through and post-contact.
Catch and pass is average at best which is a concern given that should be bread and butter for a midfielder.

[gt12]

@nogusta

Please be accurate. Please.

[African Monkey]

@dice I thought his effort on Plummer for the first try was particularly poor after Nock did extremely well to track Nanai down.

[Canes]

Any idea if Pauliasi Manu is returning?

[taniwharugby]

@dice I was expecting big things of Tua this season, after his time with the Blues (albeit injured) and what I saw of him in club rugby, thought he'd hit the field running.

Initially I wanted him in the mid-field to give Ranger the freedom on the wing, but after 2 games, I think Ranger needs to move in and Tua either out of match day squad or on the bench.

[Dice]

@taniwharugby Tua's got a body like a young Melani Nanai, and in space, he kind of runs like him too, so maybe he just needs to permanently move out to the wing and develop his game there?

[taniwharugby]

@dice I think he is quick enough to play wing, so maybe he will need to until his defensive game improves.

[African Monkey]

@canes He's gone to Japan and with Tu'inukuafe and Hodgman here he probably isn't coming back.

[chchfanatic]

@dice taniela manu is nasi’s younger brother. Was playing for northland

[Nepia]

@african-monkey said in Blues 2019:

@canes He's gone to Japan and with Tu'inukuafe and Hodgman here he probably isn't coming back.

He wasn't capped by the ABs right? What is he about 30 now? He should declare for Tonga go to the RWC (play in it this time) and then head up to NH.

[African Monkey]

@nepia Nope, and yes I would expect to see him play for Tonga next year.

[gt12]

@african-monkey

He’d be the only pacific island representative with a WC winner medal wouldn’t he? And, have never have played for another country.

[antipodean]

Make for a good trivia question.

[Nepia]

@gt12 said in Blues 2019:

@african-monkey

He’d be the only pacific island representative with a WC winner medal wouldn’t he? And, have never have played for another country.

MJ would meet the first sentence (technically) but not the second.

[Tim]

@Chris-B

What's Ryan Coxon like at loosehead?

Other options would include Nic Mayhew, Chris Eves, Jeff Thwaites, Reuben O’Neill, Mitchell Graham (if alive), Ezekiel Lindenmuth, Jared Adams, Pauliasi Manu (if available), and Sam Prattley.

[Chris B.]

@tim Haven't seen enough of him to comment.

[Tim]

Come to think of it, Daniel Lienert-Brown is off contract too. Good around the field, but not strong in the scrum. Behind Hodgman at Canterbury, and a lesser ball-carrier too.

[Bovidae]

Coxon was mainly a TH who seems to have been converted to LH. He is out of St Peters Cambridge.

[Bones]

@tim yet performs very well for a better team in a starting position. Hmmm.

[Tim]

@bones Hodgman was injured for almost the entire Super Rugby season (again). He starts ahead of Lienert-Brown for Canterbury, who are a fairly decent team.

Aki Seiuli got a number of starts this year. And ... is actually off contract too.