Blues 2017
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@taniwharugby said in Blues 2017:
His contract with NH was for 2 seasons, from which they got great value out of him....assume the Blues one woulda been the same too?
Media releases are sometimes very unclear on that point. From the media release from March 2015 (below), I understand that he was available for ITM/Mitre 10 Cup for N Harbour from 2015, so if his contract with NH was for two years, than I assume it was for 2015 and 2016.
The same media release only says that he will return to the Blues in 2016 but doesn't say for how long.
http://www.allblacks.com/News/26798/rene-ranger-signs-with-north-harbour-and-the-blues
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Yeah he was available in 2015 but had neck surgery before he left France.
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As usual, 9 and 10 are probably the biggest concerns.
Hooker and lock deserve plenty of attention too.
Parsons is out of the EOYT with neck/concussion issues. Greg Pleasants-Tate missed most of the NPC with a neck injury. Hopefully both will be fit, and we pickup Gafatasi Su'a from Counties (and formerly Auckland). Adrian Smith looked pretty good for NH, and Molds is tidy.
Anyone else worth considering?
At lock we need a good an "athletic lock" who is a good lineout option to partner "power lock" Tuipulotu. Goodhue may be too young. Cowley-Tuioti is promising, but may not be up to it (in height and ability). It would be good to see Fatialofa in the squad.
Fullback and wing looked to be covered now.
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The 2017 Blues squad is:
Backs: Michael Collins (Otago), Matt Duffie (North Harbour), TJ Faiane (Auckland), Billy Guyton ( Ta$man), Rieko Ioane (Auckland), Matt Vaega (North Harbour), George Moala (Auckland), Melani Nanai (Auckland), Sam Nock (Northland), Declan O’Donnell (Taranaki), Stephen Perofeta (Taranaki), Augustine Pulu (Counties Manukau), Rene Ranger (North Harbour), Jordon Trainor (Waikato), Ihaia West (Hawkes Bay), Sonny Bill Williams (Counties Manukau), Piers Francis (Counties Manukau).
Forwards: Gerard Cowley-Tuioti (North Harbour), Epalahame Faiva (Waikato), Charlie Faumuina (Auckland), Blake Gibson (Auckland), Josh Goodhue (Northland), Alex Hodgman (Canterbury), Akira Ioane (Auckland), Jerome Kaino (Auckland), Steven Luatua (Auckland), Sione Mafileo (North Harbour), Pauliasi Manu (Counties Manukau), Matt Moulds (Northland), Brandon Nansen (North Harbour), James Parsons (North Harbour), Sam Prattley (Auckland), Kara Pryor (Northland), Scott Scrafton (Auckland), Murphy Taramai (North Harbour), Patrick Tuipulotu (Auckland), Jimmy Tupou (Counties Manukau), Ofa Tu’ungafasi (Auckland),
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@Stargazer So Faiva makes the Blues squad. Little is still available to either the Canes and Landers.
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Happy with the Faiva pickup.
Outside backs is a bit of an issue - Declan is always injured, Rene hasnt refound his mojo, Nanai looks best at fullback, as do Trainor and Duffie.
Be interesting to see how Faiane goes - his knees have been wrecked and he hasnt played since the U20 World Cup over a year ago.
Forward pack looks promising.
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@Tim I do. I would have happily have had him in the Chiefs. Faiva is excellent around the field and does his core roles well enough. He would probably be the 3rd choice hooker in that squad to start the season but if Parsons is rated no.1 anything can happen.
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bit gutted for Waa, reckon he made huge progress from 2015 ITM Cup, his few outings for the Blues and then for Northland this year.
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So, what's the starting XV for the Blues? Lock, Wing, and Fullback probably the only contentious decisions. Though Pryor will push Gibson hard, and Hodgman should push Manu.
- Manu
- Parsons
- Faumuina
- Tuipulotu
- Tupou/Cowley-Tuioti/Goodhue/Scrafton
- Kaino (expect to see Kaino rested a bit, and Ioane get plenty of game time)
- Gibson
- Luatua
- Pulu
- West (with Francis getting significant game time from the bench)
- Vaega/Nanai/Duffie
- SBW
- Moala
- Ioane
- Nanai/Collins/Duffie
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Pretty close to the money there Tim.
I think Tupou will have the inside running on the other lock role given his experience and leadership, and his history with Tana.
I think Ranger could be in with a shot at the wing spot - to me he is suited to wing more than midfield.
I think Francis could really push West for the 10 spot. They will need to get that 10-12-13 axis right - last year the early option of West-Moala-Ranger at 10-12-13 didn't work.
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Campbell Burnes' opinion:
Super Rugby squads announced: All you need to know
The five New Zealand Super Rugby franchises announced their full squads for next season today. Campbell Burnes breaks down each squad.
There is some late Super Rugby reward for North Harbour's sterling title charge in the Mitre 10 Cup Championship.
No 8 Murphy Taramai, a former All Blacks Sevens and Wellington rep, who made every post a winner in 2016 by playing almost every minute for the union, has won a late, and fully deserved, call-up to a fulltime contract. The 24-year-old Taramai brings a high work-rate and carries well, as does lock/No 6 Brandon Nansen, who had his injury issues with North Harbour, but made an impact whenever he played.
They join new signings who had already been flagged in Sonny Bill Williams, Augustine Pulu, Otago's Michael Collins, Taranaki's Stephen Perofeta, Canterbury prop Alex Hodgman, Counties Manukau lock/loosie Jimmy Tupou and Steelers prop Pauliasi Manu, who returns to the franchise he should never have been forced to leave in 2012.
Others who had not been flagged include Waikato hooker Hame Faiva, whose play has matured nicely in 2016, Northland lock Josh Goodhue, and Taranaki wing Declan O'Donnell.
Midfielders Rene Ranger and TJ Faiane return from long-term injuries.
The unlucky man is North Harbour's inspirational skipper and lock/No 6 Chris Vui, who may have missed out to his bigger teammate Nansen.
If the Blues can stay fit, they will surely make the playoffs, but they cannot again finish bottom of the New Zealand conference for that to happen.
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@KiwiMurph Ranger has the skill set to play centre, but I don't think he has the mindset to do so, especially at Super level, which is where him on the wing with a freedom to roam and go hunting for work suits him best.
