The Future is Blue
Warning - positive post below.
I continue to be impressed with the organisation that the Blues are building. Everything has stepped up since a few years ago - Board, Coaching, Admin, facilities, relationships between stakeholders, talent identification and so on. The board has led the creation of an org that should result in playoff contention every year, strong talent identification, and a place people want to play. In the medium term, putting yourself in contention each year is critical, and we're not so reliant on one or two key pieces.
You can see it with the development of depth across the squad. We've gone from significant areas of weakness, to worrying about backups (or backups to the backups). The pool of talent has expanded, and the squad has built year on year to be in a good place. It is really fantastic to see.
We may not win the comp this year (knockout rugby is a thing), but there's a culture building that is really high quality. You have to expect that next year we'll be contending again - and with the talent scouting we have finally started to do, there's a steady stream of talent starting up.
Feels really good right now. Really proud of both the team and the organisation, and what they are delivering. The challenge now is to take contention and turn it into titles, and then do it consistently.
I was reflecting at the game on Friday with a mate that the nadir of Blues was the loss to the Rebels 4 years ago. We left at half time - honestly, the rugby was so bad we couldn't stay. To go from there to putting 70 up is a huge turnaround, that isn't achieved without lots of really hard work behind the scenes. Beating the Crusaders away was huge for the mental game - win that, and the mental belief of the players really kicks in. Ideally we're at home through the playoffs (barring a banana skin), and have a real shot at winning a title in front of the home fans.
So, really, the future is bright... the future is Blue.
@Stargazer said in Blues 2022:
@kiwi_expat I don't know who in the Crusaders set-up pissed in your weetbix, but your vendetta is tiring. Change the bloody broken record, it's boring.
I do agree in a way with what he is saying. This a not a vintage Saders squad and it's been that way a couple of years now. I don't think it is as bad as @kiwi_expat does though.
@Crazy-Horse There is some point in what he says, but the fact that he's just taking every possibility to put the boot in one franchise - while he could have used others - is annoying. If there's one organisation where you can see that who's in your organisation is having a huge effect on performance (in a negative way), it's the Canes. It's extremely frustrating to see how the whole Hurricanes set-up is just wasting talent from the U18s up to Super level.
@Stargazer said in Blues 2022:
@Crazy-Horse There is some point in what he says, but the fact that he's just taking every possibility to put the boot in one franchise - while he could have used others - is annoying. If there's one organisation where you can see that who's in your organisation is having a huge effect on performance (in a negative way), it's the Canes. It's extremely frustrating to see how the whole Hurricanes set-up is just wasting talent from the U18s up to Super level.
I guess the difference is that’s pretty normal for the Canes, where as the Crusaders used to have a well organized setup. The change is worth commenting on.
@Kirwan But not on every thread about coaching. Especially the in the Blues thread.
Their squad looks strong to me. Not sure if I buy into the argument
However the claim that their coach deserves credit for having a ‘weak’ squad only half makes sense. He would also be responsible for the selection of that squad.. it would be an argument against him leading a national selection panel for instance
@Tim said in Blues 2022:
But not on every thread about coaching. Especially the in the Blues thread.
Yeah. If anyone wants to continue this, quote and respond in the Crusaders thread
@Stargazer said in Blues 2022:
@Duluth Better still, chuck the broken record away.
Be a pretty dull forum if we weren’t allowed to discuss opinions or all agreed with each other.
If you think he’s wrong should be pretty easy to disprove.
Joe Schmidt's intensity a key influence at Blues, says Christie
:quality(70):focal(-5x-5:5x5)/cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/LNG76ETUKZBTJOVEIWGLHDY7VY.jpg)
The former Ireland head coach has added international experience and a demanding attitude to Super Rugby Pacific's high-fliers.
@chimoaus said in Blues 2022:
Please post when we find out what RI injury is, I really hope it's not long term.
Hamstring.
Iced on the sidelines on TV. The replay shows him favouring it very very sightly if you squint hard?
What they didn't show on TV was him having a trainer shaking his leg around on the field. Looks more a niggle I hope, not limping or clutching it. There is three weeks to the playoffs, so hopefully it's minor enough to shake off.
@chimoaus From Rugby Pass -
There didn’t appear to be any major damage done and although MacDonald quelled any immediate fears following the game, the Blues could be faced to front the Brumbies next weekend without their star centre.
“He pulled up with [what] looked like a hamstring [strain] initially,” MacDonald told media after the match. “We’ve just got to monitor him. He’s smiling out there at the moment so hopefully, it’s not too bad.”
@Daffy-Jaffy so then, I know it won’t happen, but a Heem 12 and TVS 13 would be nice. It would give TVS more space and less wear and tear.
'That's the Brodie Retallick-like mindset': The potential All Blacks bolter at lock
James Tucker has been in great form the Blues so far this season, and may just be rewarded with a maiden call up to the All Blacks squad.
@Duluth rugbypass are on to a good gig - they have a podcast where Parsons talks up Blues and Hall talks up Crusaders and then they just turn those quotes into articles during the week.
@Duluth The thing is I can more or less name their weekly squads, it all gets a little tedious. Would prefer more objectivity. My thoughts on Tucker, bloody awesome for the Blues damn good signing and is having a good season in Goodhue's absence.
@Bovidae said in Blues 2022:
I think Parsons must just go through the list of Blues players to talk up each week.
I'm a big Tucker fan but he is under-sized to be an international lock.
Tucker is bigger than Scott Barrett, Ah Kahoi, Dunshea, Strange and Ghallagher.
@Asterik6 said in Blues 2022:
@Bovidae said in Blues 2022:
I think Parsons must just go through the list of Blues players to talk up each week.
I'm a big Tucker fan but he is under-sized to be an international lock.
Tucker is bigger than Scott Barrett, Ah Kahoi, Dunshea, Strange and Ghallagher.
yeah but Barretts fluctuate massively in general size depending on who is posting on here.
@Asterik6 said in Blues 2022:
@Bovidae said in Blues 2022:
I think Parsons must just go through the list of Blues players to talk up each week.
I'm a big Tucker fan but he is under-sized to be an international lock.
Tucker is bigger than Scott Barrett, Ah Kahoi, Dunshea, Strange and Ghallagher.
Based on the All Blacks app, which appears to get updated more often than a lot of teams pages (in most cases), I believe all of those players are either taller or heavier than Tucker (some are taller, some are heavier).
@Asterik6 said in Blues 2022:
@Bovidae said in Blues 2022:
I think Parsons must just go through the list of Blues players to talk up each week.
I'm a big Tucker fan but he is under-sized to be an international lock.
Tucker is bigger than Scott Barrett, Ah Kahoi, Dunshea, Strange and Ghallagher.
No he isn't my Son played Cricket with him at St Beds and is still mates with him Barrett,Gallagher are bigger than James.
BLUES U20s SET FOR SUPER RUGBY NEXT GEN COMP — Blues Rugby
The Blues have named their 27-strong team for the Super Rugby Next Gen presented by Bunnings Warehouse to be held in Taupo starting this weekend. This week-long event provides a great development experience for New Zealand’s best young players and features six teams, five from the Super Rugby clubs
@Bovidae said in Blues 2022:
I think Parsons must just go through the list of Blues players to talk up each week.
I'm a big Tucker fan but he is under-sized to be an international lock.
He seems to be similar sized to Scott Barrett who when not getting red carded is a decent international lock.
IMO he'll have to do more than have one good season given Whitelock, Retallick, Va'ai, Lord and a returning Patty Tuipulotu. Let's see if he can back it up next season.
Coventry confirmed the knocks that kept the Ioane brothers and Robinson out were not of the worrying persuasion.
“We’ve been pretty conservative with their injuries. If we were playing a semifinal or final they could be on the field, but we don’t want to take any risks. Tom got a head knock at training, so it’s precautionary, Rieko hurt himself last week with his hamstring, and Aki‘s foot has started to flare up a bit with his workload, so we’ve just taken a bit of a load off for this weekend.”
@bobily2 i really hate the size comparisons for locks and loosies.
you cant just compare height and weight. There can be huge differance in arm lengths, strength and body composition that mean alot more than those stats which are often all over the show anyway. not to mention skill levels
Just watch how effective someone is at individual aspects of the game and thats the real comparison. If there was a 6 '4 ardie savea youd take him at lock any day of the week. A 30 year old brad thorn would still start for the AB's
@muddyriver said in Blues 2022:
@bobily2 i really hate the size comparisons for locks and loosies.
you cant just compare height and weight. There can be huge differance in arm lengths, strength and body composition that mean alot more than those stats which are often all over the show anyway. not to mention skill levels
Just watch how effective someone is at individual aspects of the game and thats the real comparison. If there was a 6 '4 ardie savea youd take him at lock any day of the week. A 30 year old brad thorn would still start for the AB's
I agree - it's not a complete picture. However, I was just replying to claims that James Tucker is bigger than the other locks mentioned (given it really doesn't look to be the case). It isn't that I necessarily think that locks have to be above a particular height/weight.
@muddyriver said in Blues 2022:
@bobily2 i really hate the size comparisons for locks and loosies.
you cant just compare height and weight. There can be huge differance in arm lengths, strength and body composition that mean alot more than those stats which are often all over the show anyway. not to mention skill levels
Just watch how effective someone is at individual aspects of the game and thats the real comparison. If there was a 6 '4 ardie savea youd take him at lock any day of the week.
Boric Isaac Ross light? Locks are supposed to hit rucks.
@muddyriver said in Blues 2022:
There can be huge differance in arm lengths
Chabal was a decent lock at 1.91 because his knuckles dragged on the ground
Tucker is moving bodies, winning lineouts, carrying well etc. If he does that against the Brumbies and then follows up in the knockouts he's a chance. His game is different than most our other lock options
Take some of the listed heights and weights of players with a big grain of salt. I think Tucker is probably about 1.95 m when you see him standing next to other locks. My original comment about him being under-sized for an international lock was more about his height, not his playing ability. As I said, I have always been a big fan.
Thorn was the same height, so is Frizell.
@Bovidae said in Blues 2022:
Take some of the listed heights and weights of players with a big grain of salt. I think Tucker is probably about 1.95 m when you see him standing next to other locks. My original comment about him being under-sized for an international lock was more about his height, not his playing ability. As I said, I have always been a big fan.
Thorn was the same height, so is Frizell.
You've taken 2cms off of Tuckers listed height but then trust Thorn and Frizells listed heights?
@Duluth yeah I think the Blues site has him 1cm shorter than Tom...but 5kg heavier.
@Duluth said in Blues 2022:
@muddyriver said in Blues 2022:
There can be huge differance in arm lengths
Chabal was a decent lock at 1.91 because his knuckles dragged on the ground
Tucker is moving bodies, winning lineouts, carrying well etc. If he does that against the Brumbies and then follows up in the knockouts he's a chance. His game is different than most our other lock options
Biggest fucken mitts I’ve ever seen on a Rugby player in the flesh. He woulda been a hell of a boxer with that reach……a teammate ( can’t remember who ) was quoted as saying he’s the only guy in the world who can scratch his ankles without bending over.
Wonderful singer too.