@cgrant said in Blues 2025:
@Tim said in Blues 2025:
Jordan Lay played club rugby for University yesterday, so hopefully we will have a decent reserve loosehead prop soon.
PJ Check also played for Grammar TEC.
Tupaea did surprisingly well in the scrums considering his light frame.
He's getting there. I think a full off season will see him fill out more.
@bayimports said in EPL 2024/2025:
@African-Monkey if Jebbison was actually premier league worthy I suspect we get a draw lol
Yeah, looked like a repeat of the first fixture when Evanilson scores right at the end with a near post header from a free kick, but Jebbison needed to throw himself at the ball after Emi saved the initial header, instead, he allowed Cash to come in and clear.
Huge result for Villa, keeping our champions league hopes alive, and a bit of a disaster day for Bournemouth, with their European hopes in jeopardy after Brighton and Brentford also won.
Jesus the Storm are near unstoppable on and afternoon game at home. The Eels, Wahs and now Tigers have fallen victim to it.
@Landers92 said in Crusaders vs Chiefs:
Kieran Read just said in the post match that Ben Okeefe was harsh on the Crusaders… good god 😂
Why are the former Crusaders pundits so unprofessional when it comes to calling games when their side is playing?
@Bovidae said in All Blacks 2025:
So you think they won't select Tosi? If it's six props there is only a LH spot available.
No they will, my question though is who replaces Ofa in the squad if he doesn't recover?
My other point is whether they look for someone to play on both sides of the scrum, like Ofa has the ability to.
Is Saula Ma'u worth a look? Don't think he's the finished article, but I think he has a bit if potential to get better.
I guess they'll also be looking at someone who can play on both sides of the scrum, like Ofa can.
So from reports, Ofa's injury sounds worse than first thought. Who realistically comes in? Obviously fans of teams are gonna pick their guys to come in, but who sticks out from the rest of the contenders?
@mariner4life said in NRL 2025:
I keep hearing how great Katoa is, and then I watch the Dolphins attack and its awful. They are completely reliant on their centres breaking tackles, or Hammer in broken play.
How you have a guy that fucking fast at fullback, two dangerous centres and two try scoring wingers, and apparently the best ball playing half in the comp, and attack like the 2024 warriors I'll never know.
Katoa was shown up by Moses on Thursday.
Parra should have won that game, but I'm liking the direction they're heading in with this clean out. I assume Galvin will go there and with Iongi at the back, some good outside backs with Addo Carr, Lomax and Simonsen/Penisini, Kautoga, and a few other additions to their pack to go with Hopgood, and I think they'll be competitive again in the not too distant future.
A couple of other clubs should look to rebuild like the Eels and Tigers are doing.
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
@African-Monkey said in Highlanders 2025:
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
@cala7x said in Highlanders 2025:
After six years of service and 56 games Highlander #295 Sam Gilbert will be departing our shores to play for Connacht in Ireland at the end of this year’s NPC.
Sam made his debut for the club in 2020 and has been our go to man many times over the last six seasons having played every position in the backline apart from halfback.
We wish him all the very best in the next chapter of his rugby story.
He’s copped a bit of stick over the last couple years but he’s been a solid squad player since he joined and by all accounts a good person as well. Fell into the ‘Mr fix it’ role and I feel it messed with him a bit, especially for Otago.
Good luck to him over there, I feel he will suit that playing style well. All the best to him. Hope he does well.
Yeah they're not bad players, they just get the finger pointed at them more when things aren't going so well. As was said earlier, in sides going well, they're handy squad players.
We had one in the 2010s at the Blues, Michael Collins. Again, not a bad squad player, but as he was playing more and more and the side wasn't going well, he then copped more criticism as he wasn't what we needed at the time, but again, would have been a handy fill in for a better side back then.
That's who Gilbert kind of reminds me of in terms of how good he is.
We know Michael Collins very well. He was ours he's before his time in Auckland, before coming back for a stint at the Landers. Looked like he was running in mud
Oh yeah I know haha, I was more just comparing him to a guy like Sam Gilbert from a Blues point of view.
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
@cala7x said in Highlanders 2025:
After six years of service and 56 games Highlander #295 Sam Gilbert will be departing our shores to play for Connacht in Ireland at the end of this year’s NPC.
Sam made his debut for the club in 2020 and has been our go to man many times over the last six seasons having played every position in the backline apart from halfback.
We wish him all the very best in the next chapter of his rugby story.
He’s copped a bit of stick over the last couple years but he’s been a solid squad player since he joined and by all accounts a good person as well. Fell into the ‘Mr fix it’ role and I feel it messed with him a bit, especially for Otago.
Good luck to him over there, I feel he will suit that playing style well. All the best to him. Hope he does well.
Yeah they're not bad players, they just get the finger pointed at them more when things aren't going so well. As was said earlier, in sides going well, they're handy squad players.
We had one in the 2010s at the Blues, Michael Collins. Again, not a bad squad player, but as he was playing more and more and the side wasn't going well, he then copped more criticism as he wasn't what we needed at the time, but again, would have been a handy fill in for a better side back then.
That's who Gilbert kind of reminds me of in terms of how good he is.
Sotutu, Funaki, Fusitua.
Sotutu has continued to grow every week after a stop start beginning to the season.
Funaki makes a huge difference.
@Steven-Harris said in Drua v Blues:
Has there ever been a game where the co commentator has talked up a losing team and suggested the winning team have all the luck
Sam Wykes your an idiot
He looks like Isa Nacewa from temu.
Having just watched it, good to see us go back to what we do best, tire sides up front. We ended up tiring the Drua out by bashing their forwards. A good day for our pack where we probably could have won by more.
Just realized it was Vern Cotter v Glen Jackson in this game, the 2 that orchestrated BOP's greatest day in 2004.
@MacDazzler said in NRL 2025:
Isaiya Katoa is one classy halfback watching the Dolphins last night.
Already think he's the best ball playing half in the NRL.
Katoa straightens attack better than most already. Similar to Cooper Cronk and Souths version of Adam Reynolds.
Jesus just watched that Souths Brisbane game. 1, how on earth did Souths win that, 2, despite the injury, Ben Hunt stunts Brisbane's attack and Madge needs to put him at 9, and 3, where did that Latrell field goal come from! And a nice cheeky try to end it too.
@Bovidae said in Blues 2025:
Clark said himself that he needs to bulk up as sevens players are leaner. It could just be his body isn't ready for SR yet. Different for an outside back.
Yes he does. I noticed in collision that he was still a bit raw.
@KiwiPie said in EPL 2024/2025:
@African-Monkey said in EPL 2024/2025:
@KiwiPie said in EPL 2024/2025:
It has become easier to win the Europa and Conference leagues if you qualify for them without the bumping down of failed UCL and Europa teams. Bodo-Glimt v Spurs second leg will be fascinating given the home record of the Norwegian team and Spurs being somewhat flaky.
Yup i think people are sleeping on this 2nd leg. It's so bloody cold up in Bodo that it makes it tough for any traveling side up there. Like playing the Drua in Fiji in Super Rugby, but with completely opposite climates.
I think playing them in May shouldn't be too bad - better than February anyway. Bodo have lost all of the away games in their Europa League run - and won all of their home games. Interesting.
PSG v Inter final - should be a good one. Didn't see this morning's game, reports were that Arsenal channeled 1980s Wimbledon in their approach to get it in the mixer - that's one way to avoid the press.
Yeah should get to a high of about 5 for the Bodo Spurs game, warm up there haha.
The thing with PSG is that their last 3 ties have been against English opposition. Italian sides set up completely different, they'll find things harder in the middle of the park and Inzaghi sets up with a traditional 3-5-2 formation, where the front 2 don't tend to press, it tends to come from guys like Barella and Mhyikatarian/Calhangnolou. They'll happily play 2nd and aim to frustrate PSG for as long as they can, whilst still being a threat up front with Martinez and Thuram with Dumfries and DiMarco playing high.
I may be wrong, but the more I think about it, the more I've convinced myself that Inter win it.
Souths should make a play for Young too, with the lack of wingers they have.