The future All Blacks that could turn the inconsistent Blues from mediocre to genuine playoff contenders

It’s at hooker and lock, however, that there is more of a concern.

Last month, the Blues re-signed veteran rake James Parsons to a two-year contract extension, while also managing to tie 21-test second rower Patrick Tuipulotu down on a one-year deal.

Tuipulotu’s re-signing was a good piece of business, as he provides size and power that no other lock in the side possesses, but the capture of Parsons’ signature is questionable.

At 32-years-old and with over 100 Super Rugby caps to his name, Parsons contributes excessive amounts of experience to the franchise, but he lacks the ability of every other starting hooker in the country.

Dane Coles and Codie Taylor are New Zealand’s undisputed premier talents in the No. 2 jersey, while the fight between Liam Coltman and Nathan Harris for the third-choice hooker role in the All Blacks’ World Cup squad has been intriguing at best, entertaining at worst.

Parsons is a long way off competing with those four hookers from the Hurricanes, Crusaders, Highlanders and Chiefs for national honours, and the fact that the Blues have signed him on for another two years could be an indication that he’s in line for extended tenure in the middle of the front row.

Behind him, former New Zealand U20 captain Leni Apisai remains a back-up option, but has been underwhelming, to say the least since joining from the Hurricanes last year, while Matt Moulds has signed for Worcester in the English Premiership.

Moulds’ departure opens up space for at least one new player to come in, and with Apisai not signed on for next year, there could be room for another new hooker.

Current New Zealand U20 skipper Kianu Kereru-Symes already has Mitre 10 Cup experience with Hawke’s Bay, and impressed for the Magpies last year thanks to his strong build and leadership qualities.

Despite being within the Hurricanes’ catchment area, his home franchise have a logjam at hooker through Coles, Asafo Aumua and Ricky Riccitelli, all of whom have been signed on for next year, meaning a move north might be on the cards for Kereru-Symes.

Another victim of the Hurricanes’ conveyer belt of talent at hooker could be James O’Reilly.

For the past two seasons, O’Reilly has failed to win a full-time contract with the Hurricanes, playing fourth-fiddle to Coles, Aumua and Riccitelli, only earning game time as an injury replacement despite playing well for Wellington in the Mitre 10 Cup.

Finally cracking the Hurricanes’ set-up after years of toiling away could be a goal for the 24-year-old, but he might find that his best chance of playing time lies in Auckland, especially with Parsons not getting any younger.

Aside from Tuipulotu, the Blues don’t have any standout options at lock, which contributes to the relatively weak make-up of their tight five.

Josh Goodhue, younger brother of Crusaders and All Blacks midfielder Jack, has finally been given a chance to try and cash in on the potential he showed as a youngster through regular playing time, but he will probably need a few more years to fully deliver.

Jacob Pierce is a largely unknown prospect outside of the Blues region, but as an ex-member of the New Zealand Barbarians Schools in 2015 and the world champion New Zealand U20 side in 2017, he looms as Goodhue’s likely second-row partner for the long-term future.

Scott Scrafton and Gerard Cowley-Tuioti have both shown glimpses of talent since coming on board with the Blues in 2016, but neither have been consistently impactful over the last four seasons.

If it’s the second row that the Blues are looking to bolster in their quest for sustained consistency, then Newcastle and Canada lock Evan Olmstead – who stood out in Auckland’s title-winning Mitre 10 Cup season last year and was involved in the Blues’ pre-season this year – could be the right man for the job.

The same could be said for James Tucker, the star Waikato lock who was inexplicably overlooked by the Chiefs for this season, and Tom Rowe, the Otago second rower whose work ethic hasn’t gone unnoticed for the Sunwolves in Japan.

In Tom Robinson, Dalton Papali'i, Blake Gibson and Akira Ioane, the Blues have a strong core group of players in the loose forwards next year, with youngster Hoskins Sotutu certainly one for the future.

All three halfbacks - Jonathan Ruru, Augustine Pulu and Sam Nock - are similar in terms of their impact on-field, but, like Parsons at hooker, none of the trio compare to other halfbacks around the country.

Highlanders halfback Aaron Smith and Hurricanes No. 9 TJ Perenara are by far considered the two best scrumhalves in New Zealand, while Brad Weber leads the four-way battle for the third-choice spot ahead of Chiefs teammate Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi and Crusaders duo Bryn Hall and Mitchell Drummond.

The three Aucklanders are all a long way off from joining that race for national honours, and while Ruru has enjoyed the most starts for the Blues this year, ex-captain Pulu the most experienced with two All Blacks caps from 2014, and Nock the most promising option in the long run, none exactly set the world alight like those from other franchises.

None of those three have been signed on for next year, and although they would all provide safe options for the Blues, retaining all three would contradict the rise from mediocrity and inconsistency that MacDonald should be searching for.

In saying that, there are slim pickings at halfback across the country, but someone like exciting Otago, Samoa Sevens and Manu Samoa product Melani Matavao might be the spark at No. 9 that the Blues are craving for.

First-fives Otere Black, Harry Plummer and Stephen Perofeta have all been locked in for 2020, and, with ages varying between 20 and 24, all three possess the ability to challenge each other for the starting role at No. 10 for the next few seasons.

In the midfield, the up-and-coming TJ Faiane has been re-secured on a two-year deal, but the departures of veterans Sonny Bill Williams and Ma'a Nonu appear imminent.

Levi Aumua has been under-utilised given his powerful physical presence, but MacDonald should look to keep him on the Blues' books as a possible replacement for Williams and Nonu at second-five.

Deployed mainly on the wing this year, 20-year-old Tanielu Tele'a has shown plenty of promise, and could be used as another midfield option going forward.

As far as replacing Williams and Nonu in the squad, Orbyn Leger presents a compelling case for a contract through his experience at the Blues, Chiefs, Counties Manukau and New Zealand U20 in recent times, while his role as a playmaker and distributor provides an alternative to power-based players Aumua and Tele'a.

Rieko Ioane and Caleb Clarke remain the only two outside backs signed on for the next few years, but both are prodigious talents who will dominate the wing positions in the coming years.

A New Zealand Schools representative in 2014, fullback Jordan Trainor still has time on his side after years of missed opportunities due to either injury or subpar performances in Super Rugby.

He should start at fullback with the confirmed exit of Melani Nanai to Worcester and the likely departure of Michael Collins.

Two-time All Black Matt Duffie is still lingering within the Blues set-up after failing to establish himself following a breakout campaign in 2017, but MacDonald will still need a couple of additions to bolster his outside back stocks.

Young duo Scott Gregory, a star for both Northland in last year's Mitre 10 Cup and the All Blacks Sevens in this season's World Sevens Series, and Kaleb Trask, the Bay of Plenty starlet who would have been a New Zealand U20 representative if not for injury, could be the final pieces to MacDonald's puzzle.

As mentioned earlier, nobody knows exactly how to fix the Blues, or else they would have ended their playoff drought - which will probably be continued again this year - long ago.

However, if it's mediocrity and inconsistency that MacDonald is looking to make amends for in his bid to get the Blues back into the realm of Super Rugby title contenders, then these personnel changes within his squad could very well be the remedy he needs to revitalise this long-suffering franchise.

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