Blues 2020
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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.
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@Kirwan said in Blues 2020:
@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.
I think we a long gone from giving mainstream media any credit now. A lot of the stuff now is dross in terms of sports.
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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
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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.
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.
When he was out of form and fat at the end of last Super season and during the NPC he deservedly got the right coverage which is fair enough, but he was getting the same crap coverage the year before when he was carving up, both to the eye and statistically. (This is not just media, but especially common folks on forums as well).
@Duluth said in Blues 2020:
He's a pretty good chance of making the AB's this year. Currently he's getting selected on the Blues bench.
Nah, he needs to be on the Highlanders bench.
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I tend to agree with @Kirwan and others and think MacDonald is just managing players workloads.
I find it hard to believe that he's gone from playing nearly every minute last year (MacDonald obviously rates him), to totally out of favour where he can't even get a bench spot.
If this proves to be the case, it is very clever squad management IMHO.
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@Dice said in Blues 2020:
@Tim Not many hooker options out there. I'd say the best guys available in the country would be Kereru-Symes or Pleasants-Tate.
Kereru-Symes is a young guy with potential and Pleasants-Tate has a bit of experience at this level.
can't re-poach Abel?
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Jordan Olsen was with Blues dev team last year.
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@Tim said in Blues 2020:
I assume that Luteru Tolai has already replaced Nuia, any idea who will come in for Parsons?
I hadn't seen an update on Parsons so I googled Tolai to see if he was flying over to SA
I saw a message posted earlier today from his High school congratulating him on becoming a member of the Blues squad
I'm surprised he wasn't already a full squad member after the Niuia injury
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Looks like an April 11 return date for Beaudie
Beauden Barrett's debut for the Blues is set to come earlier than expected. Newshub understands Barrett wants to make his long-awaited debut for the franchise in round 11 against the Hurricanes at Eden Park.
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@Tim said in Blues 2020:
Round 11 of 18. So he'll play 7 of the 16 regular season games.
You counting the quarter, semi and final?
I can dream.....