Confirmed here
North of 20,000 were at Eden Park according to the Blues CEO.
@brodean said in Blues 2026:
Man that is sad. Blues have been decimated because of Scott Robertson and his cronies.
I sound petty but trust me, the hate for the Blues is strong down there.
@gt12 said in Blues 2026:
Confirmed here
Most Blues fans were fearing it and half expecting it. It must've been tempting to stay at least till the end of 2027 or 2028 but the lure of a big payday locked in and I'm sure bad taste in his mouth over how he'd been treated.
The challenge we have is there is a big chasm between our veterans - Patty, Ofa, Hos, Dalts, Christie and those in their prime - Caleb Clarke, AJ Lam plus oft injured - Perofeta, Sullivan and our young core, most of who came through NPC baptism of fire.
We should look to recruit a few veterans to shore up our ranks. Pita Ahki looks like he'll work out well. Slater looks like a solid acquisition as well.
@TheMojoman said in Blues 2026:
Pita Ahki looks like he'll work out well.
Jury is well and truly out on this. Probably a player suited to playing in outdoor games in wintery conditions so may suit later in the competition
@African-Monkey said in Blues 2026:
@brodean said in Blues 2026:
Man that is sad. Blues have been decimated because of Scott Robertson and his cronies.
I sound petty but trust me, the hate for the Blues is strong down there.
Haha, this true.... we fucking hate Aucklanders down here 
Although if it influences AB's selections then that is bulshit.
Grizz was able to move past it and kept picking washed up Aucklanders like the Whetton brothers.
I like Papali'i, he's tough and hardly ever gets injured...... some of the other names that have been brought up in media articles etc I don't agree with though (Riccitelli is way too small for test rugby, and Reiko Ioane has been shit for ages)..
@SammyC said in Blues 2026:
@African-Monkey said in Blues 2026:
@brodean said in Blues 2026:
Man that is sad. Blues have been decimated because of Scott Robertson and his cronies.
I sound petty but trust me, the hate for the Blues is strong down there.
Haha, this true.... we fucking hate Aucklanders down here
Although if it influences AB's selections then that is bulshit.
Grizz was able to move past it and kept picking washed up Aucklanders like the Whetton brothers.
I like Papali'i, he's tough and hardly ever gets injured...... some of the other names that have been brought up in media articles etc I don't agree with though (Riccitelli is way too small for test rugby, and Reiko Ioane has been shit for ages)..
Come on man, even RR's biggest advocates on here are at most saying he should have been picked as the third hooker in case of any further injury over an (at that point) undeveloped kid in Bell.
Sotutu after being player of the year, Lam, Akira when we're lacking size at 6 are all far stronger arguments (mind you, I wouldn't have picked BB or Christie - so I'm not so much arguing it was anti-Blues as just stupidity).
@SammyC said in Blues 2026:
@African-Monkey said in Blues 2026:
@brodean said in Blues 2026:
Man that is sad. Blues have been decimated because of Scott Robertson and his cronies.
I sound petty but trust me, the hate for the Blues is strong down there.
Haha, this true.... we fucking hate Aucklanders down here
Although if it influences AB's selections then that is bulshit.
Grizz was able to move past it and kept picking washed up Aucklanders like the Whetton brothers.
I like Papali'i, he's tough and hardly ever gets injured...... some of the other names that have been brought up in media articles etc I don't agree with though (Riccitelli is way too small for test rugby, and Reiko Ioane has been shit for ages)..
I do agree on Riccitelli. I don't think he was the answer, the thing that angered people over his non selection was more to do with the fact that he was the best performing SR hooker in 2024 and had to make way for George Bell who was horrendous in his only full campaign so far, and Brodie McAlister who was never deserving of AB honours. The caps that those guys won, people felt (Blues fans anyway) that Riccitelli deserved, even if he wasn't the long term answer.
Yeah, Rieko on attack has seen better days. He's way too old and lacks any zip now to play as a wing, and doesn't have the craft and IQ to be a threat on attack as the years go on as a ball playing centre as he ain't a crash merchant like Fai'anganuku who has that get out of trouble play with ball in hand. However, he's still easily our best defensive option at centre. Proctor got shown up there last year for his lack of pace, and don't get me started on Fai'anganuku and his laziness on defence. Thing is, is that people don't criticise people like LF, Jordan, Savea etc. on their shortcomings, certainly not in the public anyway unlike the Auckland players, that they're never under any pressure to fix these issues. A world cup final tomorrow, games that are always low scoring affairs, who are we picking at centre? Currently I'm still picking Rieko because of his defence. If LF gets better in that area then he'd probably be a shoe in for as long as he likes.
It sounds bullshit but lets be honest here, Crusaders coaches coming straight into the AB enviroment deep down have a hatred for the Blues players haha, and it would have had a little bit of influence on selection, even if they won't admit it. Going from wanting to destroy the Blues to all of a sudden having to work with them would have been a difficult transition. That's part of the baggage this coaching team had.
The failings are not confined to the All Blacks role. The Blues are in the market for a new head coach to replace Vern Cotter, and their choices are so limited as to be alarming.
There are no standout candidates, and the two proven performers who have been approached, Ian Foster and Jason Holland, are believed to have declined.
@Tim said in Blues 2026:
The failings are not confined to the All Blacks role. The Blues are in the market for a new head coach to replace Vern Cotter, and their choices are so limited as to be alarming.
There are no standout candidates, and the two proven performers who have been approached, Ian Foster and Jason Holland, are believed to have declined.
I don't think you want either of them anyway, how about Bleyendaal or Goodman if they could be prised away? There are some local options if they went back in time I guess.
@george33 said in Blues 2026:
@Tim Wayne Pivac get him.
Never understood why he's never been looked at for the Blues gig.
I'd appoint him judging on the guys available.
Pivac in his stints with Auckland got the best out of the squads talent (the second time he had less to work with).
Also the young players developed fast
No idea why he never got promoted in NZ. I assume it must be NZ rugby politics.. he doesn't have the right friends or he pissed off the wrong people?
@Fredsaua12 said in Blues 2026:
I believe he could have been snapped up by the Crusaders and their academy.
It looks like Marco Miln is still in Auckland, and Jake Hutchings has chosen Auckland over Northland or BOP.
Auckland academy teams that played over the weekend:
