Blues 2020
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@Duluth said in Blues 2020:
@Steven-Harris said in Blues 2020:
these are the sort of stats I think we all wanted to see from Akira..
Akira was top 3 in plenty of stats in previous seasons.
I think Akira is not playing for the same reason Robinson is not starting.
Lol no its not. Akira is fat. Needs to get fit before gets back in the squad
Is he playing club rugby or anything while Blues are away?
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No mention of any defensive numbers in those stats. Akira would rack up good runs as well but it was the ruck attendance and defensive positioning stats that held him back. Too often not where he needed to be (or inconsistent at that aspect through a game)
However, I don't buy into the talk that he has been dropped. I think the coaches are trying a different approach with him this year. I also don't think he is fat/unfit unless he was absent from all of that pre-season stuff. I think he has been deliberately given a longer lead in to try and have him peaking when they need him too be rather than fading through overwork.
Sotutu has been very good and together they will make a good one/two punch.
There was going to be little gained in the first few weeks with such a tough early draw but much can be gained and momentum built through the middle of the season for the Blues to get a run on. 7 out of their last 10 games are quite winnable as long as they haven't dug a huge hole through lack of confidence and injuries early on.
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@Duluth said in Blues 2020:
@Hooroo said in Blues 2020:
Surely we should actually know this? Has anyone seen him?
Saw him up close a few days ago. Calling him fat is just retarded
@JK ya retard!
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@Crucial said in Blues 2020:
No mention of any defensive numbers in those stats. Akira would rack up good runs as well but it was the ruck attendance and defensive positioning stats that held him back. Too often not where he needed to be (or inconsistent at that aspect through a game)
Last season he had extremely high tackle percentage (I think it was 1 missed in the first 5-6 games). The number of tackles per match was similar to other AB contenders.
That fell apart in the last third of the season..
@Crucial said in Blues 2020:
However, I don't buy into the talk that he has been dropped. I think the coaches are trying a different approach with him this year. I also don't think he is fat/unfit unless he was absent from all of that pre-season stuff. I think he has been deliberately given a longer lead in to try and have him peaking when they need him too be rather than fading through overwork.
Sotutu has been very good and together they will make a good one/two punch.
There was going to be little gained in the first few weeks with such a tough early draw but much can be gained and momentum built through the middle of the season for the Blues to get a run on. 7 out of their last 10 games are quite winnable as long as they haven't dug a huge hole through lack of confidence and injuries early on.
Agree with the rest of this.. half a 'like' vote
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@JK said in Blues 2020:
No hes actually unfit. From inside the squad. Hoping hes doing the right stuff while the rest of squad are away so can actually make a contribution to the team
That makes logical sense to me from the outside.
He's done next to nothing since NPC? No way they are "saving' him for mid season
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@Duluth said in Blues 2020:
@Crucial said in Blues 2020:
No mention of any defensive numbers in those stats. Akira would rack up good runs as well but it was the ruck attendance and defensive positioning stats that held him back. Too often not where he needed to be (or inconsistent at that aspect through a game)
Last season he had extremely high tackle percentage (I think it was 1 missed in the first 5-6 games). The number of tackles per match was similar to other AB contenders.
That fell apart in the last third of the season..
@Crucial said in Blues 2020:
However, I don't buy into the talk that he has been dropped. I think the coaches are trying a different approach with him this year. I also don't think he is fat/unfit unless he was absent from all of that pre-season stuff. I think he has been deliberately given a longer lead in to try and have him peaking when they need him too be rather than fading through overwork.
Sotutu has been very good and together they will make a good one/two punch.
There was going to be little gained in the first few weeks with such a tough early draw but much can be gained and momentum built through the middle of the season for the Blues to get a run on. 7 out of their last 10 games are quite winnable as long as they haven't dug a huge hole through lack of confidence and injuries early on.
Agree with the rest of this.. half a 'like' vote
I was talking about his latter half of the season.
Shag was very upfront. He basically said that Akira looked tired and had to find a way to keep his stats up through the season.
I agree with that but think that maybe the realisation is that Akira is not the type that can thrash himself all season. He needs to build into it if you want him in the AB mix later on. There's nothing wrong with that and plenty of established ABs are actually managed to do just that. In Shag's eyes though you don't want it enough if you can't last the season while trying to force your way in to the top end.
If we have it right here, I think that Rangi is trying something different with Akira to see how it works out both physically and mentally. Worth a shot IMO. -
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@Stargazer said in Blues 2020:
@Crucial Is there any proof of MacDonald managing him like that, or is this just wishful thinking? (I have no opinion on this; I don't know).
It's an opinion based on how he's managing other players game time, like Robinson, and comments McDonald has made about avoiding mistakes he made last year with player workfloads at the end of the season.
The obvious player burned out was Akira.
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I'd say the truth lies somewhere in the middle and is a combination of things
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not wanting to burn players out (Akira has been the worst victim of this in the past).
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Sotutu's really strong Mitre 10 Cup-preseason-early season form
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Akira could still improve his fitness (in his cameo in Newcastle he looked fitter than Mitre 10 Cup but still looked like he had work to do).
The proof will be when he next plays.
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@KiwiMurph said in Blues 2020:
I'd say the truth lies somewhere in the middle and is a combination of things
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not wanting to burn players out (Akira has been the worst victim of this in the past).
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Sotutu's really strong Mitre 10 Cup-preseason-early season form
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Akira could still improve his fitness (in his cameo in Newcastle he looked fitter than Mitre 10 Cup but still looked like he had work to do).
The proof will be when he next plays.
Do you not think that a reason for your third point is answered by your first? Why be at peak if you are looking to peak later?
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