What are the rules about bringing in players for long term injuries?
Matich was included when two opensides were injured at the start of the year.
Li was added when Lindenmuth was out
Why didn't we bring in a back for Perofeta? It was known 1/3 of the way through the season he wasn't going to be fit. Trainor was also out.
Tupou was unavailable too. Why no extra loosie?
@pukunui said in Blues 2019:
So, the Blues already have another coach ready for the scrap heap?
I only see one poster suggesting that.
The squad quality has been talked about quite a lot. Including prior to this season. Unfortunately poor selections linger for years as we wait for contracts to expire.
The lack of trust in 2nd tier players has been talked about constantly too.. which is fine if the players not trusted by the current coaches do not get extensions.
As for Leon the jury is out. Like many other Blues fans I thought he pretty much had a free pass this year.
I don't think he has made the most of that leeway.
For instance, my prediction at the start of the year was that the Blues would be shite again (too many holes in the squad) and the second half of the season would be about experimentation looking forward to 2020.
I was right about the first part (insert shitty joke here) but why not the second part?
It was a missed opportunity to not look at Tale'a in the midfield earlier. Why did we wait until the last game to look at Robinson as a lock? Is Dalton as good at 8 as he is at 6? Can Sotutu be trusted with a start? Renata was worth a look from the bench rather than playing our props for 80mins. Is Pierce ready for this level?
It was missed opportunity to test a handful of things
@rotated said in Blues 2019:
The pragmatic decision needs to made to move on from appointing ex-ABs on limited resumes and go another route as of next year.
Who?
@nzzp said in Blues 2019:
Was thinking yesterday about what the hell we can do to improve the mental strength fo the side. If I was coach (thank fark I'm not, I'd be shit but enthusiastic), I'd be straight onto the phone to Sir Graham.
Think about it - he took the ABs from a flaky mental side, and bedded in a massive culture change that led to back to back world cups. He's done it before, he can help do it again. The Blues have fixable technical deficiencies, but it's the top two inches that smashes us week after week.
He's also had to deal with not just elite NZ players, but also get Wales in the right head space to play their best ... and I think you could see his input last year in the Auckland side. The Blues had numerous offers to help early on when the wheels fell off in the early 2010s, but were too introverted, dysfunctional or arrogant to really engage with it. I think bringing in someone like SGH with a tight focus on mental skills could only be massively beneficial in the changing shed.
So there ya go. It's only one way of tackling it, but a hail mary to Sir Graham is where I'd go
A supporting role like how Auckland used him would probably be useful.
@African-Monkey said in Blues 2019:
@Tim That's true, but last season he should have been given more of an opportunity, and as @Duluth said, we also have Adrian Choat floating around so there really was no need to sign Jed Brown.
Choat would be a good option because he covers 7&8
@African-Monkey Havili didn't play rugby again until about a month ago. Looking forward to seeing him in the NPC.
@Tim said in Blues 2019:
There are going to be some personnel changes, that's just natural, every year there are going to be some. We've got our six or so [leaving], but now we've got a good understanding of where we feel we need to bolster, we can go and attack that area.
Nanai
Moulds
Tupou
Pulu
SBW
Nonu
Scrafton
I hope it's more than those seven
It was a flawed squad and there was a reluctance to use the 2nd tier of players. If the coach doesn't rate those guys they should not get extensions.. we'd be better off with rookies.
Is Apisai's contract up? Surely there needs to be more changes at halfback than just Pulu going?
I know he was barely seen but Jed Brown would be a pointless extension. An older openside who doesn't even offer experience at this level. We'd be better off with Sione Havili or Choat.. guys that may have a high ceiling
