Blues 2020

African Monkey

@Daffy-Jaffy Yeah don't know what we're gonna do at fullback next year. Duffie's past his best now so I guess Perofeta plays there but he's always injured so yeah, we're gonna struggle there next year.

I think Tele'a is best suited to wing at this stage of his career so I expect to see him play out there a lot next year.

Daffy Jaffy

@Tim i've always quite liked what i've seen of Jamie Spowart from Ta$man . He covers wing and fullback. He doesn't get much game time. He probably needs to move away from Ta$man to further his game/career.

Tim

The team is shaping up now, but there's a lot of inexperience at the back.

Karl T
? Abel or Niuia?
Ofa T
Tuipulotu
? Maybe one of the Harbour boys or Whetton?
Robinson
Papalii
Ioane
Christie
Barrett
Narawa
Faiane
Ioane
Tele'a
Perofeta
Parsons
Hodgman
Renata
GCT
Gibson/Sotutu
Nock
Manu/Plummer
Duffie/Manu

Olmsted would be handy.

Duluth

@Tim said in Blues 2020:

The team is shaping up now, but there's a lot of inexperience at the back.

Karl T

? Abel or Niuia?

Ofa T

Tuipulotu

? Maybe one of the Harbour boys or Whetton?

I'd give Pierce the first chance along side Tuipulotu

If the rumours are correct we'll need a new TH

Tim

@Duluth said in Blues 2020:

I'd give Pierce the first chance along side Tuipulotu

Yeah, he's looked handy at times. Goodhue might be in danger of missing out, especially if they look to bring in some like Paripari Parkinson from outside.

Canes4life

@Tim pretty strong forward pack if the Blues can grab a decent-ish lock. Maybe taking a punt on someone like Cridge from the Bay, even though he has had injury troubles in the past.

My ?? are in the backs. I think the Blues would look far stronger if they leave Ioane on the left wing and attempt to sign more of a distributing 13. Also wouldn't Clarke be your starting 11 if Ioane was your 13?

African Monkey

@Canes4life Clarke is playing 7s next year.

Canes4life

@African-Monkey oh yup.

Dice

Really happy with the Narawa signing. Just grab Tima from Ta$man and that's the wings sorted.

Yeetyaah

Good signing in Narawa, was hoping the Chiefs would grab him as he's a BOP player.

Tim

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/provincial/116174395/highlanders-recruit-michael-collins-leaves-door-open-for-uk-switch

Regardless of how the future plays out, Collins looks back at his time with the Blues with some fondness and dismisses criticism of the Auckland franchise's culture.

"Auckland's interesting because you've got such a wide area from where people would have to travel in from for training, whereas in Dunedin everything is obviously five minutes away," he said.

"So, there's obviously restrictions but at my time at the Blues the management found ways around it.

"In the past the Blues used that as excuse. There's a lot of comments about the culture not being good enough but I never found that at all. I loved the culture up there, turning up at training. I'm part of the Highlanders now but I still want the Blues to do well at some stage."

KiwiMurph

Player who has never experienced another Super Rugby culture defends culture of Super Rugby team in which he was treated very favourably.

Snowy

@KiwiMurph Yes, but he communicated it well.

Stargazer

Nepia

@Stargazer said in Blues 2020:

WTF - he doesn't have a good reputation ...

KiwiMurph

@Nepia he's gonna fit right in.

Experience with underperforming franchise in biggest market.

Chris

@Stargazer said in Blues 2020:

That does not seem like a good appointment Waratahs would be glad to get rid of him

voodoo

@Chris that's the understatement of the year. He was a fucking disaster.

antipodean

@Stargazer said in Blues 2020:

alt text

rotated

Look for Warratahs to dominate next year like Ta$man have this year.

The Silver Fern

Blues 2020