Blues v NSW Waratahs Rd 16. Sat May 31, 2025

[Pokinacha]

Thank goodness that’s over. Waratahs can take solace they let the perennial flog Reiko Ioane pass the soul glow, Dougie Howlett in tries for the blues.

 

[KOB1987]

I don’t know… but I watched him most of the game. Just walks everywhere. No urgency to do anything. Holds up a scrum and that is it. Overpaid. Surely not a wallaby again?

He’s not as good as he used to be but holding up a scrum is pretty important for a tight head prop.

 

[drewprint]

I haven’t watched the game but my hope it that they are tapering TT for the Lions.

 

[Mule]

I don’t know… but I watched him most of the game. Just walks everywhere. No urgency to do anything. Holds up a scrum and that is it. Overpaid. Surely not a wallaby again?

TT is well off his best form. Botha gives away too many penalties at scrum time to have a spot. Unfortunately the Aussie focus on turning back rowers into front rowers since the 90s continues to back fire….. Be good to see Waratahs revive their Trac Tahs program (stopped as COVID kicked off) for young keen tight 5 players (not unkeen back rowers) and develop the genuinely passionate big kids into tight 5 animals

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Congratulations Loss Bleus you have (provisionally) earned yourselves a Qualifying Final in Hamilton!

 

[Yoda]

McKellar definitely has his work cut out next year. There still seems to be no team bond. He needs to clear out some dead wood and Tupou surely will be the first to go. He needs a season or two in Europe which will definitely help him imo. Beaten tryless by a Blues side that has definitely been off their best all year. Poor.

 

[Dan54]

I not sure on the whole Nela thing. He doesn't look to be scrumming that well. I would suggest Lions front row would be watching with a smile, although I would add ,don't know how good or bad the locks behind him are. From this side of the ditch it seems Tahs supporters should or could have every reason to be disappointed.

 

[zer0]

Congratulations Loss Bleus you have (provisionally) earned yourselves a Qualifying Final in Hamilton!

Unfortunately the inevitable Chiefs choke will be saved by this stupid finals format smh

 

[waiopehu oldboy]

Unfortunately for Loss Bleus the reverse scenario means hasta la Vista, bay-bee. On balance I'd rather be Team Tribe.

 

[Brumby Runner]

Feel like that might be just about Nela's last act of the season. Very hard to see how he can be trusted against the Lions

Agree Wilson. He is now ineffectual at scrum time, and more of a liability to his own team in general play. Surely, can't be in the squad for the Lions.

 

[Brumby Runner]

He’s not as good as he used to be but holding up a scrum is pretty important for a tight head prop.

I reckon he's a penalty magnet waiting to happen at scrum time. If he's not boring in (as he does most of the time) he is losing his bind and first one to pop up out of the scrum. Present form doesn't warrant any consideration for the Lions, and that's at a time where our THP stocks are just about at the bottom.

 

[cyclopath]

What I cannot work out is why he seemingly has little initiative to get and stay fit, and why no coaching set-up seems to be able to get anything near his best from him.
If he played for certain Kiwi teams, he'd be on another level, I reckon.
I think our scrum will get dished by the Lions. I hope I'm wrong.

 

[Crashy]

a million bucks a year guaranteed can make some people pretty complacent.....
I dont know if it would ever work but RA needs to put more win bonuses in contracts.
i.e you fuckers win - you get paid lots. You ( or your agents) tell us how good you are, well you and your chums back yourself. The clubs just need to pay a bookmaker ( as RA do in RWC years) an amount if the team wins. They could even do the same with tries scored.

Its about time players were held accountable. Imagine the case where you pay a player say $200k a year but with lucrative cash bonuses for wins...
Its how the rest of the planet works.

 

[Hogan]

An embarrassment that the Tahs couldn’t score one try. They need a new flyhalf that can spark the attack, a new attack coach and a new gameplan that doesn’t involve kicking the ball away. A long offseason for the men in blue.

 

[Shiggins]

Man tahs are puss but to be fair I can't see anyone that played in this game getting wallabies time apart from bell and Kellaway.

How did Kellaway chase down Reiko. I thought Reiko was suppose to be one of the fastest kiwi backs and Kellaway is one of Aussies slowest.

Didn't the blues knock it on at the first ruck when Talea was tackled? They didn't seem to check it. Interesting no footage of Bowen getting tripped in the first half as well. They didn't even replay it. Looked like the tahs player grounded the ball with chest first and then hand and then talea scores trys ok before the end of first half. Surely if there is chest on ball on ground and the hand it's grounded?

The scrum at 68 minutes where Reiko scores is a joke. Blues prop goes sideways and under and should have been penalised.

Tahs didn't look good in attack once. just had nothing. Tryless. Can't believe the force lost to this side last week. Says more about the force than how bad the tahs are

 

[A mutterer]

was whitakker our attack coach for this game? just some dumb, dumb, rugby.

the kicking gameplan got found out hard.

last comment, starting to think the tahs need a rebrand - T4HS - as in Tits 4 Hands.

 

[Shiggins]

An embarrassment that the Tahs couldn’t score one try. They need a new flyhalf that can spark the attack, a new attack coach and a new gameplan that doesn’t involve kicking the ball away. A long offseason for the men in blue.

Man I bet they wish donaldson didn't leave. Bowen is not super rugby level

 

[Strewthcobber]

Looked like the tahs player grounded the ball with chest first and then hand and then talea scores trys ok before the end of first half. Surely if there is chest on ball on ground and the hand it's grounded?

21.1The ball can be grounded in in-goal:

a. By holding it and touching the ground with it; or
b. By pressing down on it with a hand or hands, arm or arms, or the front of the player’s body from waist to neck.

That's the law. Pretty close either way

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

reikos still got the gas

He got caught by kellaway so I'm gonna say no he doesnt

 

[Hawko]

And this is the way the season ends, not with a bang but a wimper.