Blues 2020
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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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@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.
Akira could score three trys, make 30 tackles and kick the conversions and some posters here would complain about his facial expressions or his "niggle".
It's also noticable in the media too. It's not a coincidence that Sky coverage waited until he was eating to show him on camera, IMO.
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@Kirwan said in Blues 2020:
@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).
-
Sotutu's really strong Mitre 10 Cup-preseason-early season form
-
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.
Akira could score three trys, make 30 tackles and kick the conversions and some posters here would complain about his facial expressions or his "niggle".
It's also noticable in the media too. It's not a coincidence that Sky coverage waited until he was eating to show him on camera, IMO.
Always a victim......
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@Hooroo said in Blues 2020:
@Kirwan said in Blues 2020:
@KiwiMurph said in Blues 2020:
I'd say the truth lies somewhere in the middle and is a combination of things
-
not wanting to burn players out (Akira has been the worst victim of this in the past).
-
Sotutu's really strong Mitre 10 Cup-preseason-early season form
-
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.
Akira could score three trys, make 30 tackles and kick the conversions and some posters here would complain about his facial expressions or his "niggle".
It's also noticable in the media too. It's not a coincidence that Sky coverage waited until he was eating to show him on camera, IMO.
Always a victim......
I don't think it's inaccurate to say that he gets very different coverage than pretty much any other player.
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@Kirwan said in Blues 2020:
@Hooroo said in Blues 2020:
@Kirwan said in Blues 2020:
@KiwiMurph said in Blues 2020:
I'd say the truth lies somewhere in the middle and is a combination of things
-
not wanting to burn players out (Akira has been the worst victim of this in the past).
-
Sotutu's really strong Mitre 10 Cup-preseason-early season form
-
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.
Akira could score three trys, make 30 tackles and kick the conversions and some posters here would complain about his facial expressions or his "niggle".
It's also noticable in the media too. It's not a coincidence that Sky coverage waited until he was eating to show him on camera, IMO.
Always a victim......
I don't think it's inaccurate to say that he gets very different coverage than pretty much any other player.
I think he gets the appropriate amount for a unfit/fat professional. If in fact unfit.
Unless he is mentally deficient, I do not understand why he is still in the conditioning phase?
Unless it is from AB instructions though, then I can get that.
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@Hooroo said in Blues 2020:
@Kirwan said in Blues 2020:
@Hooroo said in Blues 2020:
@Kirwan said in Blues 2020:
@KiwiMurph said in Blues 2020:
I'd say the truth lies somewhere in the middle and is a combination of things
-
not wanting to burn players out (Akira has been the worst victim of this in the past).
-
Sotutu's really strong Mitre 10 Cup-preseason-early season form
-
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.
Akira could score three trys, make 30 tackles and kick the conversions and some posters here would complain about his facial expressions or his "niggle".
It's also noticable in the media too. It's not a coincidence that Sky coverage waited until he was eating to show him on camera, IMO.
Always a victim......
I don't think it's inaccurate to say that he gets very different coverage than pretty much any other player.
I think he gets the appropriate amount for a unfit/fat professional. If in fact unfit.
Unless he is mentally deficient, I do not understand why he is still in the conditioning phase?
Unless it is from AB instructions though, then I can get that.
As was said early in the thread, he looked good in pre-season. People that have seen him live say he's not fat.
Yet you can see comments here (and yours) saying he's fat and unfit, or mentally deficient!
Is Robinson unfit? Why isn't he starting? Perhaps the coaches have a plan for player workload?
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@Kirwan said in Blues 2020:
@Hooroo said in Blues 2020:
@Kirwan said in Blues 2020:
@Hooroo said in Blues 2020:
@Kirwan said in Blues 2020:
@KiwiMurph said in Blues 2020:
I'd say the truth lies somewhere in the middle and is a combination of things
-
not wanting to burn players out (Akira has been the worst victim of this in the past).
-
Sotutu's really strong Mitre 10 Cup-preseason-early season form
-
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.
Akira could score three trys, make 30 tackles and kick the conversions and some posters here would complain about his facial expressions or his "niggle".
It's also noticable in the media too. It's not a coincidence that Sky coverage waited until he was eating to show him on camera, IMO.
Always a victim......
I don't think it's inaccurate to say that he gets very different coverage than pretty much any other player.
I think he gets the appropriate amount for a unfit/fat professional. If in fact unfit.
Unless he is mentally deficient, I do not understand why he is still in the conditioning phase?
Unless it is from AB instructions though, then I can get that.
As was said early in the thread, he looked good in pre-season. People that have seen him live say he's not fat.
Yet you can see comments here (and yours) saying he's fat and unfit, or mentally deficient!
Is Robinson unfit? Why isn't he starting? Perhaps the coaches have a plan for player workload?
To be fair, I don't know who Robinson is. Is he the tall ranga? I think Akira would get more screen time purely due to having the higher profile. (Being in and out of AB camps etc)
I'm not saying he's fat, but it appears from those on the inside the Blues camp that he is unfit which mystifies me.
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gotta love the Fern!!
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@Hooroo said in Blues 2020:
To be fair, I don't know who Robinson is. Is he the tall ranga?
Yes. One of the Blues best last year but he faded a bit towards the end. He should've been rotated with Papali'i more often.
He's a pretty good chance of making the AB's this year. Currently he's getting selected on the Blues bench.
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@Duluth said in Blues 2020:
@Hooroo said in Blues 2020:
To be fair, I don't know who Robinson is. Is he the tall ranga?
Yes. One of the Blues best last year but he faded a bit towards the end. He should've been rotated with Papali'i more often.
He's a pretty good chance of making the AB's this year. Currently he's getting selected on the Blues bench.
I do recall him. Big hair. Too much hair probably.
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@Duluth said in Blues 2020:
@Hooroo said in Blues 2020:
Too much hair probably.
Kids these days..
His hair helps him IMO. He's hard to miss on the field and he gets some very positive media puff pieces
I think the beard does the opposite for Akira too. I really think the media coverage is that superficial.
