Blues 2019
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According to his club, Scrafton should be available soon:
Scott Scrafton is due to make his comeback from injury in the coming weeks.
GTEC Players named to play in the iconic Mangatainoka Match
Tomorrow sees the playing of the iconic Mangatainoka Match at the Tui brewery. This year it is the Hurricanes v Blues...
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I'd go with this lineup. Almost picks itself with the current injury list.
Hodgman
Parsons
Mafielo
Goodhue
Tuipulotu
Robinson
Papalii
Ioane
Ruru
Black
Ioane
Faiane
Nonu
Nanai
CollinsMoulds
Tuinukuafe
Tuungafasi
Cowley-Tuioti
Sotutu
Pulu
Plummer
SBWABs props to come off the bench?
Gibson and Jed Brown injured which only leaves Sotutu (fully contracted) to cover back row replacements. Sotutu was one of the best on field against the Canes apparently.
Picking Ruru to have a stellar Super season
Black to get first dibs at 10
Faiane to find his feet at Super level
Plummer gets the bench spot with Perofeta out as he covers 10 & 15 (and 12) -
@Nogusta I would love to see Olmstead on that bench for GCT. They may even go with both Sotutu and Matich (who also went well during pre season) on the bench to cover 7 and let Robinson cover lock. It could be a risk though with the quality of the crusaders locks and scrum.
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@Crucial yea good call cementing Faiane. Maybe a bit unfair on him though to put at 13. Really hoping he puts his injury woes behind him and carries his good M10 form to the Super. Nonu was at 13 and Faiane 12 against the Canes. Faiane was also at 12 against the Chiefs the week before.
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@Daffy-Jaffy yea forgot about Olmstead. I'd have him there too over GCT given he's had a full preseason on top of his stellar 2018 M10
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@Crucial said in Blues 2019 - (New Head Coach):
@Nogusta Faiane 12 and Nonu 13? I'd be looking the other way around, cement Faiane at 13 and look to rotate Nonu and SBW from starting to bench as the season goes,
.Personally I think Faiane seems more comfortable at 12. Ma will play 13 outside SBW, so it may be easiest to build things around him locked in there.
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Given that Faiane has shown great ability at 13 during NPC and SBW has shown nothing at 13 to date but is an AB 12 the 'planning' of Faiane at 12 confuses me.
All I can think is that SBW is scheduled for a season as bench impact, coming on at 12 with Faiane moving out and old man Ma'a shuffling off.
There will be games where Ma'a and SBW start together but I would think that the majority of starts would go to TJ so giving him a set jersey makes more sense to me. -
@Crucial said in Blues 2019 - (New Head Coach):
Given that Faiane has shown great ability at 13 during NPC and SBW has shown nothing at 13 to date but is an AB 12 the 'planning' of Faiane at 12 confuses me.
Faiane was at 12 in the NPC (Manu was the 13). That’s his normal position
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@Duluth said in Blues 2019 - (New Head Coach):
@Crucial said in Blues 2019 - (New Head Coach):
Given that Faiane has shown great ability at 13 during NPC and SBW has shown nothing at 13 to date but is an AB 12 the 'planning' of Faiane at 12 confuses me.
Faiane was at 12 in the NPC (Manu was the 13). That’s his normal position
My bad. For some reason I recalled people saying he played out of position during NPC.
So the Blues have 3 12s and no 13s. Cool.
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I think I spotted young Harbour hooker Loteru Tolai at Blues training on a news clip. Apasai was injured last game and Parsons did not play that game so may also be carrying a knock. Loteru is a big unit for a hooker, listed at at 119kgs but only 20 years old.
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@Daffy-Jaffy I wonder if Kurt Eklund and Jordan Olsen are around too?
