Blues 2019
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The Blues selections highlight areas for improvement in the NZ Franchise system.
When you are the bottom team, recruitment is obviously a more difficult task and I imagine that, at times, longer contracts have to be offered to secure players. If those selections don't pan out (and every franchise gets those) you are stuck with the player and squad fixes are made more difficult.As for Olmstead, does anyone know the situation regarding approval (or not) by NZRU? They have been heavily involved in trying to rejuvenate the code in Auckland and I imagine they would prefer a local taking the spot over an import. Maybe the criticisms in that area are misdirected until we find out what actually happened in that regard.
I also don't get the Nonu signing on the surface however maybe he is more a backup and training selection. I'll cop flack for this but remember that Umaga in his late playing days played a role at CM where he worked as mentor for a couple of midfield players that grew very quickly from his example and help. One is now an international for the number two team in the world, the other recently cemented a long term contract up north. Maybe there is a hope for a similar acceleration for Faiane?
I doubt SBW will play that much (he never does anyway) but SBW and Nonu offer solid foundations in the centres that can be used either starting, finishing or as injury cover.
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What are the chances Alama coaches the development team?
Also, I wonder if Olmstead and Abel will stick around for an injury call-up. Abel said that he's willing to wait for an injury call-up, so we might have to hope we're the first team to pick up a hooker injury.
A couple of weeks ago, Olmstead said he was talking to a few teams, but no one signed him in the end. I wonder if the talks were more about injury cover than anything else.
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@dice said in Blues 2019:
What are the chances Alama coaches the development team?
Last season the Harbour coaches took the U20 and Dev team, IIRC.
Sounds like Ieremia has a lot planned for Auckland in early 2019 though, including a tour with an Auckland Dev team in February.
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@kiwimurph said in Blues 2019:
@daffy-jaffy he got injured again in Mitre 10 Cup.
Blues tend to have a history of picking impressive U20 players who get injured early on in their career - Faiane, Gibson, to some degree Papali'i etc
They just happen to be all from St Kents.
Duffie also went to St Kents and he started his career with so many injuries. He was the Blake Gibson before Blake Gibson.
Scrafton is another St Kents boy, but he didn't start his career with injuries, he's just getting all his big injuries now.
I wonder how serious Telea's injury is, because I saw him at the final and he had a big knee brace on. There didn't seem to be much in the contact that injured him, so I'm assuming it was an ACL.
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@dice said in Blues 2019:
I wonder how serious Telea's injury is, because I saw him at the final and he had a big knee brace on. There didn't seem to be much in the contact that injured him, so I'm assuming it was an ACL.
Who's the likely replacement? Leger?
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@kirwan said in Blues 2019:
@nogusta said in Blues 2019:
Hearing there'll be some 'big' news out of Blues HQ in the next day or so.
++ crosses fingers ++ please be Tana & Redman quitting.
Fixed.
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@kiwimurph said in Blues 2019:
@kirwan said in Blues 2019:
@nogusta said in Blues 2019:
Hearing there'll be some 'big' news out of Blues HQ in the next day or so.
++ crosses fingers ++ please be Tana & Redman signing extensions.
Fixed.
Fixed for reality.
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word is Michael Collins is to be named Captain
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@mariner4life said in Blues 2019:
word is Michael Collins is to be named Captain
He's a very good captain.
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@southernmann said in Blues 2019:
@mariner4life said in Blues 2019:
word is Michael Collins is to be named Captain
He's a very good captain.
Great communicator (and @mariner4life - you are just a cruel bastard).
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@southernmann said in Blues 2019:
@mariner4life said in Blues 2019:
word is Michael Collins is to be named Captain
He's a very good captain.
Can't be a good captain if you your place in the team is under threat, and you don't deliver on the field.
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@rocky-rockbottom said in Blues 2019:
LOL, it'll be something earth-shattering like "The Blues are proud to announce the signing of back-up reserve prop Puddingface Mcdumplingwaddle to the Wider Training Group."
:smiling_face_with_open_mouth_smiling_eyes: :smiling_face_with_open_mouth_smiling_eyes:
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Wow didn't see that coming. Tana gone.
Edit - not completely gone.
