Blues 2025
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@george33 said in Blues 2025:
@Duluth possibly playing 13, with AJ at 12, ,
Indicating Rieko to take a sabbatical after all?
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Blues academy players Leo Gordon and King Maxwell are playing on loan in Japan for Blues partner club.
https://www.instagram.com/watergush_official/reel/DCVf6JNB0iy/
https://www.instagram.com/watergush_official/reel/DCVf9HbhD6-/ -
Bit of depth lost at wing with Banks and Tangitau at other franchises
I'll be annoyed if Lam is forced to play wing as he's the best 12 in the squad
Who else covers wing? Spencer? Heem prob too slow for wing these days. Tito-Harris perhaps? That blonde chap from Northland looked useful
@KiwiMurph said in Blues 2025:
I'll be annoyed if Lam is forced to play wing as he's the best 12 in the squad
Surely with Heem out for the season Lam is a walk up start?
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Working with Lam and Sullivan in that position would be awesome. I think that might be Sullivan's best position.
@Kirwan said in Blues 2025:
Working with Lam and Sullivan in that position would be awesome. I think that might be Sullivan's best position.
What makes you say that? I think he's an out-and-out 15. Good under the high ball, a booming punt, strong as a secondary playmaker and looks good with a bit of space but not so much when he's under more pressure closer to the action...
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@george33 said in Blues 2025:
@Duluth possibly playing 13, with AJ at 12, ,
that would be a big midfield.
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@Kirwan said in Blues 2025:
Working with Lam and Sullivan in that position would be awesome. I think that might be Sullivan's best position.
What makes you say that? I think he's an out-and-out 15. Good under the high ball, a booming punt, strong as a secondary playmaker and looks good with a bit of space but not so much when he's under more pressure closer to the action...
@Mr-Fish said in Blues 2025:
@Kirwan said in Blues 2025:
Working with Lam and Sullivan in that position would be awesome. I think that might be Sullivan's best position.
What makes you say that? I think he's an out-and-out 15. Good under the high ball, a booming punt, strong as a secondary playmaker and looks good with a bit of space but not so much when he's under more pressure closer to the action...
With Zarn's lack of pace I can see the appeal of 12. I think his lack of pace means his ceiling is limited in NZ at 15 and how they like to select.
I'd be happy if the 12s were Lam and Zarn.
Having thought about it more I can see Forbes being the next winger chosen behind Telea and Clarke. Versatile player that would have earned a lot of goodwill with his 2024 Blues performances.
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@Kirwan said in Blues 2025:
Working with Lam and Sullivan in that position would be awesome. I think that might be Sullivan's best position.
What makes you say that? I think he's an out-and-out 15. Good under the high ball, a booming punt, strong as a secondary playmaker and looks good with a bit of space but not so much when he's under more pressure closer to the action...
@Mr-Fish said in Blues 2025:
@Kirwan said in Blues 2025:
Working with Lam and Sullivan in that position would be awesome. I think that might be Sullivan's best position.
What makes you say that? I think he's an out-and-out 15. Good under the high ball, a booming punt, strong as a secondary playmaker and looks good with a bit of space but not so much when he's under more pressure closer to the action...
Observing him at ten, or when he stands at first receiver in open play. His size makes him excellent to hit it up, he has very good distrubition skills and the long punt gives us another option to clear the ball more often. Left foot is useful in combination with Plummer as well.
As Duluth said, his slow windup makes him a chardown target at 10, a little more space or as a surprise clearing option reduces that risk.
Australian method of using all your best players on the park too.
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Confirmation -
https://www.instagram.com/bluesrugbyteam/reel/DCmeidzSoLG/ -
The Clermont one is pretty cool:
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCmDt7XtPkF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
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Won SR and briefly became an All Black. With the lack of genuine interest from these selectors the choice was basically made for him
If there's 50/50 selection calls the Blues have to make this year I think they should go against the guy leaving
@Duluth said in Blues 2025:
Won SR and briefly became an All Black. With the lack of genuine interest from these selectors the choice was basically made for him
If there's 50/50 selection calls the Blues have to make this year I think they should go against the guy leaving
If you make the All Blacks for the first time (and it was the first time you deserved to), and the guys ahead of you are significantly older with one of them looking well past it, but you decide to cash in and go to France immediately...
That's on Harry, not the selectors.edited: just to say that I feel a bit sick having defended the idiots.
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@Duluth said in Blues 2025:
Won SR and briefly became an All Black. With the lack of genuine interest from these selectors the choice was basically made for him
If there's 50/50 selection calls the Blues have to make this year I think they should go against the guy leaving
If you make the All Blacks for the first time (and it was the first time you deserved to), and the guys ahead of you are significantly older with one of them looking well past it, but you decide to cash in and go to France immediately...
That's on Harry, not the selectors.edited: just to say that I feel a bit sick having defended the idiots.
@reprobate said in Blues 2025:
That's on Harry, not the selectors.
Same as Akira then. You either reckon they got the nudge from the selectors or you don't.
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@Duluth said in Blues 2025:
Won SR and briefly became an All Black. With the lack of genuine interest from these selectors the choice was basically made for him
If there's 50/50 selection calls the Blues have to make this year I think they should go against the guy leaving
If you make the All Blacks for the first time (and it was the first time you deserved to), and the guys ahead of you are significantly older with one of them looking well past it, but you decide to cash in and go to France immediately...
That's on Harry, not the selectors.edited: just to say that I feel a bit sick having defended the idiots.
@reprobate said in Blues 2025:
@Duluth said in Blues 2025:
Won SR and briefly became an All Black. With the lack of genuine interest from these selectors the choice was basically made for him
If there's 50/50 selection calls the Blues have to make this year I think they should go against the guy leaving
If you make the All Blacks for the first time (and it was the first time you deserved to), and the guys ahead of you are significantly older with one of them looking well past it, but you decide to cash in and go to France immediately...
That's on Harry, not the selectors.edited: just to say that I feel a bit sick having defended the idiots.
At the end of the day most people want to be rewarded for a job well done and get paid their worth. That's clearly not happening with players like Havili and Blackadder getting special treatment off the back of little play in a losing team.
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@reprobate said in Blues 2025:
That's on Harry, not the selectors.
Same as Akira then. You either reckon they got the nudge from the selectors or you don't.
@nzzp said in Blues 2025:
@reprobate said in Blues 2025:
That's on Harry, not the selectors.
Same as Akira then. You either reckon they got the nudge from the selectors or you don't.
Not really the same: Akira is 29 and has been in the frame for years, whereas Plummer is 26 and this is the first time he has been even close on Super performance. One is quitting after giving it a decent crack, one is quitting at the first sign of potentially being up to it.
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@reprobate said in Blues 2025:
@Duluth said in Blues 2025:
Won SR and briefly became an All Black. With the lack of genuine interest from these selectors the choice was basically made for him
If there's 50/50 selection calls the Blues have to make this year I think they should go against the guy leaving
If you make the All Blacks for the first time (and it was the first time you deserved to), and the guys ahead of you are significantly older with one of them looking well past it, but you decide to cash in and go to France immediately...
That's on Harry, not the selectors.edited: just to say that I feel a bit sick having defended the idiots.
At the end of the day most people want to be rewarded for a job well done and get paid their worth. That's clearly not happening with players like Havili and Blackadder getting special treatment off the back of little play in a losing team.
@brodean said in Blues 2025:
@reprobate said in Blues 2025:
@Duluth said in Blues 2025:
Won SR and briefly became an All Black. With the lack of genuine interest from these selectors the choice was basically made for him
If there's 50/50 selection calls the Blues have to make this year I think they should go against the guy leaving
If you make the All Blacks for the first time (and it was the first time you deserved to), and the guys ahead of you are significantly older with one of them looking well past it, but you decide to cash in and go to France immediately...
That's on Harry, not the selectors.edited: just to say that I feel a bit sick having defended the idiots.
At the end of the day most people want to be rewarded for a job well done and get paid their worth. That's clearly not happening with players like Havili and Blackadder getting special treatment off the back of little play in a losing team.
I'm talking about Plummer only. If, when rated as the 3rd best 10 in NZ, he has the attitude that he's being undervalued so much that he has no option to leave - on the back of one decent but hardly amazing Super season - I'd be surprised and disappointed.
Guys like Sotutu, even Riccitelli on the other hand - they've been absurdly under-rated by the selectors. Oh and I guess every outside back not named Fihaki too.
