Blues 2023

[taniwharugby]

@Bovidae TBF, this isnt exclusive to McDonald, it has always been a bit of an issue with the Blues in not trusting thier full squad, yet they still re-sign player year after year.

[Kirwan]

@Nogusta said in Blues 2023:

@African-Monkey Narawa just flat out didn't get much opportunity. Came on early in Rd 3 (2021 season) vs the Landers and killed it then was never sighted.
Coaches didn't like his 'quiet' 'laidback' 'doesn't talk enough' 'lazy trainer' etc etc demeanour.
The ol nuggets they usually roll out for the Fijian boys

Sotutu mentioned this in an interview once in relation to himself, seems a bit of a blind spot for a team based in Auckland!

[george33]

Perofeta available next week

[Kirwan]

I liked seeing the emotion on display here, as JK said afterwards it’s important to see this.

Good family man.

[African Monkey]

@Kirwan said in Blues 2023:

I liked seeing the emotion on display here, as JK said afterwards it’s important to see this.

Good family man.

Obviously he's despised by many outside of Auckland and on here, but it's been guys like him (and a few others) who have changed our fortunes from being easy beats to becoming one of the stronger sides in the comp. We'd usually lose talent like him over the years but him staying and serving the side for many years now has also helped others stay in the region and many other teammates speak highly of his influence in the side. Seasons like 2018, where we barely won a game, yet he played every minute of that campaign and carried the side on his own, yet still missed out on national selection that year somehow, but to his credit he stuck at it, finally got his opportunity in 2020, and will always go down as a Blues legend no matter what his critics have to say about him.

Well done to a champion player.

[Kirwan]

Couldn’t say it better. Very well liked by his teammates.

[Tim]

Who are the new locks that are available next year, who might be ready for regular game time?

Beehre (Auckland), Craig (Northland), Kalapu (?/Force) come to mind.

Will a new coach shake things up? Select more young players?

[Tim]

Prop contracts:

Josh Fusitua - 2025
Ofa Tuʻungafasi - 2024
Alex Hodgman - 2023
Nepo Laulala - 2023
James Lay - ?
Marcel Renata - ?
Jordan Lay - injury cover

Could be looking for a few new ones for next season. Sione Ahio? Tito Tuipulotu?

[Tim]

Hooker contracts:

Eklund - 2023
Riccitelli - 2023
Vikena - ?

[Stargazer]

@Tim Vikena is contracted for the 2024 season.

[Tim]

@Stargazer Cheers. Do you have a link?

[Stargazer]

@Tim https://web.archive.org/web/20201202195634/https://blues.rugby/2021-squad-named/

[Tim]

@Stargazer Thanks.

[Daffy Jaffy]

[Duluth]

Is that Leni Apisai in the back of the video?

[Duluth]

Papali’i banned for three weeks. That’s the rest of the regular season

At least Choat is in good form and can start at 7

[Kirwan]

Well he's been nursing a rib injury, so at least that will be cleared up. Choat at 7 and Akira at 6 keeps the quality of the loosies high, and the german has also been good.

[Stargazer]

Effectively, it may only be 2 weeks if he's allowed to get a week off his suspension when doing that tackle intervention programme (assuming it's his first offence since that was introduced a few years ago). Waiting for the official decision from SANZAAR to find out.

[Duluth]

@Stargazer said in Blues 2023:

Effectively, it may only be 2 weeks if he's allowed to get a week off his suspension when doing that tackle intervention programme (assuming it's his first offence since that was introduced a few years ago). Waiting for the official decision from SANZAAR to find out.

One of those games was likely to be AB rest too

[Crucial]

No indication of a week off for the course in this article.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/300879995/super-rugby-pacific-blues-captain-dalton-papalii-banned-for-three-weeks