Blues 2024
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I saw there was a segment about the Blues first day back at HQ on 1news sport tonight. Was looking out for any wider squad members. Some expected names like L Milo-Harris and Shilo Klein but was surprised to see Alex Harford the Canterbury boy making the shift.
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@Trig said in Blues 2024:
surprised to see Alex Harford
Yeah I don't get that. He is 24 and has had 5 starts for Canterbury in 3 seasons. I don't know what he has done to get called up ahead of two local, younger but promising 10's that were already in their system in Jock McKenzie and Byron Smith. It kind of annoys me like the Shek over Ahio decision. Unless he is going to be the next Dan Carter!
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@Trig said in Blues 2024:
I saw there was a segment about the Blues first day back at HQ on 1news sport tonight. Was looking out for any wider squad members. Some expected names like L Milo-Harris and Shilo Klein but was surprised to see Alex Harford the Canterbury boy making the shift.
This link has the video:
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Harford is no Carter that is for sure.
Weird one for me Harford at the Blues,the Crusaders have had him in the WTG for the last 2 years and this year didn’t give him a WTG spot.
Maybe they see something in him that led to them thinking he can’t step up. -
Apart from the extra players already mentioned (Annandale, Harford, Milo-Harris, Klein), some other young players I think I recognized from the One news clip were
Maliu Nuiafe, Ben Ake, Sam Hainsworth - Fa'aofo, Xavi Taele, Xavier Tito - Harris, Leo Gordon. i could be wrong with some as they were from matching brief clips to googled photos (yes a slow night shift), so a hairstyle or facial hair change can make it tricky. There were several others that I could not identify.Can anyone I.D. this young player who was in the news clip and training with the Blues today?
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@Chris said in Blues 2024:
Harford is no Carter that is for sure.
Weird one for me Harford at the Blues,the Crusaders have had him in the WTG for the last 2 years and this year didn’t give him a WTG spot.
Maybe they see something in him that led to them thinking he can’t step up.Interestingly Crusaders also had Cashmore in their set up a couple of years ago but now prefer Kemara. Will be fun to track their progress.
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That looks like Rico Simpson (NZ Schools 1st 5) but it would be strange to have him there ahead of McKenzie and Smith.
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This is Riley Williams at the Bronco this morning -
Who is this ?
Apparently Cole Forbes had the best Bronco time.
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@Daffy-Jaffy I see Jock McKenzie has been called up to the Auckland Aces side, so maybe he's trying his hand at Cricket for the time being?
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@KiwiMurph said in Blues 2024:
@Chris said in Blues 2024:
Harford is no Carter that is for sure.
Weird one for me Harford at the Blues,the Crusaders have had him in the WTG for the last 2 years and this year didn’t give him a WTG spot.
Maybe they see something in him that led to them thinking he can’t step up.Interestingly Crusaders also had Cashmore in their set up a couple of years ago but now prefer Kemara. Will be fun to track their progress.
Yes Andrew Webb the academy manager was a big driver in Kemera being signed up ahead of Cashmore and Harford.
I am not sure he was right.
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BLUES, CHIEFS TAKE PRE-SEASON TO JAPAN — Blues Rugby
The Blues and Gallagher Chiefs are taking pre-season on the road this February, with the newly established ‘Cross-Border Rugby 2024’ seeing the two New Zealand DHL Super Rugby Pacific sides take on four teams from Japan Rugby’s League One. The matches will take place in early February, with an eye
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@Wurzel said in Blues 2024:
Rico Simpson got a National Development Contract with the Blues
If we assume the NDC players are now training with the main squads you might be able to work out who they are before the official announcements.
As I mentioned in the NZ Schools thread I like the look of Simpson after I first saw him playing for the Māori U18s last year. He is a much taller/bigger 1st 5 than the others who have come through the age-group system in recent years. One for the future I believe.
The player that has disappeared is Essendon Tuitupou. Maybe he has a long-term injury or has gone back to basketball.
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