Blues 2019
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@Machpants said in Blues 2019:
@Hooroo The Blues are still second to the Crusaders on most titles won, equal with the Bulls.
Admittedly the last one was a wee while ago!
That’s my point and what I find funny. Blues have had untold success. Now they are a laughing stock of rugby.
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@Hooroo said in Blues 2019:
@Machpants said in Blues 2019:
@sparky said in Blues 2019:
When was the last season the Blues didn't finish last in the NZ conference? Perennial underachievers.
2013 I think
Ha ha. That’s gold. All the success and now being mirrored in reverse.
I can’t see the crusaders letting that happen to them.
That's what people said about the blues too. All it takes is a couple of crap coaches,a dodgy recruiter and poor administration. ..
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@nzzp said in Blues 2019:
@Hooroo said in Blues 2019:
@Machpants said in Blues 2019:
@sparky said in Blues 2019:
When was the last season the Blues didn't finish last in the NZ conference? Perennial underachievers.
2013 I think
Ha ha. That’s gold. All the success and now being mirrored in reverse.
I can’t see the crusaders letting that happen to them.
That's what people said about the blues too. All it takes is a couple of crap coaches,a dodgy recruiter and poor administration. ..
That’s a lot of holes lining up.
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@Hooroo said in Blues 2019:
@nzzp said in Blues 2019:
@Hooroo said in Blues 2019:
@Machpants said in Blues 2019:
@sparky said in Blues 2019:
When was the last season the Blues didn't finish last in the NZ conference? Perennial underachievers.
2013 I think
Ha ha. That’s gold. All the success and now being mirrored in reverse.
I can’t see the crusaders letting that happen to them.
That's what people said about the blues too. All it takes is a couple of crap coaches,a dodgy recruiter and poor administration. ..
That’s a lot of holes lining up.
Just imagine how the canes turn out if Hammett get another couple of years. The destruction would be total
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@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
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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
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@nzzp Sir Graham would probably say give Gilbert a call.
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@taniwharugby said in Blues 2019:
@nzzp Sir Graham would probably say give Gilbert a call.
I heard Henry on the phone on ZB. His recall seems a bit poor these days.
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@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.
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@Kirwan said in Blues 2019:
@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.
Was he in that role last year when you won the NPC? Be mad not to use him if he is available
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@MN5 said in Blues 2019:
@taniwharugby said in Blues 2019:
@nzzp Sir Graham would probably say give Gilbert a call.
I heard Henry on the phone on ZB. His recall seems a bit poor these days.
I agree, I think the commitment level is probably an issue also. From all reports he enjoys the Auckland role given minimal travel commitments and condensed schedule. In similar situations he has been unable to rub the magic pixie dust on Argentina or the Blues under Kirwan.
At this point you are looking for the next Ted, not Ted.
It is also major incitement on MacDonald (and to a certain extent Umaga - a former AB captain under Ted). When you hire one of these coaches from the Crusader coaching tree the very intangibles @nzzp is bemoaning the Blues lacking are supposed to come as standard with the package. Yet time and time again (Gibson, Hammett, Mauger, Blackadder even Deans himself) outside of the Crusaders environment they are flops.
The pragmatic decision needs to made to move on from appointing ex-ABs on limited resumes and go another route as of next year.
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@Duluth said in Blues 2019:
@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?
Jason Holland's body of work makes him an outstanding and obvious candidate. And to their credit I would fully expect the Blues to interview him as part of the next coaching search (not in his own right, purely as a character reference for Carlos).
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@rotated very harsh on Dean's there. And mauger could still go good.
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@rotated Who would you like to try now from David Nucifora,Pat Lam.John Kirwan,Tana Umunga,Leon McDonald
You have had one Assistant coach for (1 year might I add) from the Crusaders the rest from everywhere.
Maybe something is not heathly within the franchise that's where you should be looking to fix.You have had coaches,decent players but something is holding it back within.
Ex players have Worked not only at the Crusaders, but the Highlanders,Chiefs,Hurricanes have done ok with ex players as a coach.
