Blues 2025
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@brodean said in Blues 2025:
Grindlay is the biggest waste of talent since Rob Rush and Taine Plumtree. Just straight up squandered by the Blues coaching staff.
Blues coaches would argue it was Grindlay and Rush who squandered their opportunities.
Plumtree was just unlucky playing in the strength of the team at the time at loose forward.
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Do we take from the picture above that Christie is going to stay? Think he’s off contract. Clarke too…
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@zedsdeadbaby said in Blues 2025:
Do we take from the picture above that Christie is going to stay? Think he’s off contract. Clarke too…
Ta'avao too?
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True. I’d heard he was pulling pin but maybe he’s been convinced to stay.
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The NPC becomes doubly important for the Blues with possibly upwards of 7 players on the move maybe 8 if you counted Angus Ta’avao , Ofa Tuangafasi depending on wether he recovers from his neck injury ,Cameron Suafua unlikely to return and one other that’s heading offshore
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@Steven-Harris said in Blues 2025:
Hearing another Blues player is looking to be released from his contract and is heading to Japan more details to come
Any update here fella?
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@Landers92 i can confirm its Sam Nock he put through his release papers last week ,so just waiting on the Blues to sign it off hes picked up a contract with a Japanese club
Bit of bugger for Northland on the back of losing Lisati Milo Harris to France , Nock sitting on 86 games for the Taniwha -
@Steven-Harris said in Blues 2025:
@Landers92 i can confirm its Sam Nock he put through his release papers last week ,so just waiting on the Blues to sign it off hes picked up a contract with a Japanese club
Bit of bugger for Northland on the back of losing Lisati Milo Harris to France , Nock sitting on 86 games for the TaniwhaAll the best to him. Yes, he probably didn't reach the heights we all thought he was going to post school days, but he has been a loyal servant to the Blues and Northland, and deserves a good payday at this point in his career.
As I keep saying, the Blues sides of the late 2010s to this present point is slowly being split apart and the side is heading into a rebuild.
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@African-Monkey you pretty much summed up his time at the Blues perfectly had all the skills to succeed at the highest level but unlike the very best halfbacks around they boss the ruck area and the space around them
Sam had an opportunity to go to the Crusaders when Bryn Hall moved on but decided to stay with the Blues such is his passion for the region not to mention hes good friends with several of the lads at the Blues
Whilst i respect his decision i reckon he missed a trick not trying out a new challenge
However all the best to him -
@Steven-Harris said in Blues 2025:
@African-Monkey you pretty much summed up his time at the Blues perfectly had all the skills to succeed at the highest level but unlike the very best halfbacks around they boss the ruck area and the space around them
Sam had an opportunity to go to the Crusaders when Bryn Hall moved on but decided to stay with the Blues such is his passion for the region not to mention hes good friends with several of the lads at the Blues
Whilst i respect his decision i reckon he missed a trick not trying out a new challenge
However all the best to himWas a tough time being a Blues halfback too when we were struggling and the Crusaders virtually had the starting AB pack at the time, made it very easy for any halfback down there, so yeah, I think you may be right on that one.
The only halfback that could have changed the Blues side back then from 9 was TJ Perenara, a man who would take things upon himself with a pack going backwards. It was a tough era and Nock's confidence took a big hit in it I feel.
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@KiwiMurph said in Blues 2025:
@brodean said in Blues 2025:
Grindlay is the biggest waste of talent since Rob Rush and Taine Plumtree. Just straight up squandered by the Blues coaching staff.
Blues coaches would argue it was Grindlay and Rush who squandered their opportunities.
Plumtree was just unlucky playing in the strength of the team at the time at loose forward.
How did Grindlay waste his opportunity? He didn't get selected once this year. He played really well for the Blues in the 1 opportunity he did get.
He improved his fitness a lot and played two strong seasons for Taranaki.
His NPC work was far better than Taeles error ridden season last year.
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@brodean said in Blues 2025:
How did Grindlay waste his opportunity? He didn't get selected once this year. He played really well for the Blues in the 1 opportunity he did get.
He improved his fitness a lot and played two strong seasons for Taranaki.
His NPC work was far better than Taeles error ridden season last year.
It doesn't take much to read between the lines
Grindlay signed a two year deal for the Blues (24/25)
The 1 game he played in 2024 was only from the bench and that only occurred because there were late changes - he wasn't even named in the initial 23.
Taele was only signed for 2025 and leapfrogged him for playing time and signed a deal for 2026
It's pretty obvious Grindlay was not impressing off the field/training/behind the scenes.
I'd venture the Blues were hoping for a hell of a lot more when they signed him to a 2 year deal.
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@KiwiMurph said in Blues 2025:
@brodean said in Blues 2025:
How did Grindlay waste his opportunity? He didn't get selected once this year. He played really well for the Blues in the 1 opportunity he did get.
He improved his fitness a lot and played two strong seasons for Taranaki.
His NPC work was far better than Taeles error ridden season last year.
It doesn't take much to read between the lines
Grindlay signed a two year deal for the Blues (24/25)
The 1 game he played in 2024 was only from the bench and that only occurred because there were late changes - he wasn't even named in the initial 23.
Taele was only signed for 2025 and leapfrogged him for playing time and signed a deal for 2026
It's pretty obvious Grindlay was not impressing off the field/training/behind the scenes.
That is highly speculative.
I think it's more to do with Craig McGrath coaching Auckland that Taele got more of a run.
I see a pattern of talent getting wasted for players with less upside.
For example Christie over Funaki.
James Thompson would have been better than Segner or Cam Christie at 6 but they let him get away.
Corey Evans over Zarn Sullivan.
Apart from 50 minutes last week the backline and attack has been appalling this season. They need to move McGrath and Halangahu on.
