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Blair ready to dazzle in Nines homecoming
Dan Talintyre
Thursday 13 February 2014 9:10 AM
Blair ready to dazzle in Nines homecoming
Heading into the 2014 season as one of the club’s more experienced players, New Zealand international Adam Blair is determined to prove that he remains one of the top forwards in rugby league.
And being back in his home country this weekend for the upcoming Dick Smith Auckland Nines tournament looms as the perfect chance for him to do just that.
Speaking before he made the familiar trip across the Tasman, Blair was flowing in his praise of the new tournament and excited to be playing in front of his friends and family once more.
“I have a lot of friends down there,” he said. “All my mates are going to be there.
“I think it’s going to be a great weekend, it’s a great concept, especially for the faster guys and I think it’s going to be a very enjoyable weekend,” said Blair. “We’ll definitely get a lot out of it.”
With Wests Tigers fielding a relatively young squad including four players that have never tasted first-grade action, Blair’s leadership skills are again expected to come to the fore in New Zealand. Since moving to the Wests Tigers from Melbourne at the start of 2012, Blair has made 47 first-grade appearances for the club, more than half of the club’s Auckland Nines squad, and his extensive first-grade experience will be key in getting the most out of some the younger members.
Especially given the number of young former New Zealand residents heading to Auckland, including former Auckland locals James Gavet and Martin Taupau, the 27-year-old knows how important communication will be throughout the tournament.
“I think communication is going to be the most important thing on the day when you play Nines. You can’t afford to switch off on any play, it’s about staying alive all the time and if we’re not involved, making sure we’re talking off the ball,” said Blair.
Despite the fact that the tournament is expected to favour outside backs and quicker players in general, the Kiwi international also offered great insight into the role that forwards have to play throughout the weekend, but not without conceding that the fast-paced nature of the competition would certainly take its toll on their bigger bodies.
“For us big guys it’s going to be tough, but I guess a lot of other teams are going to have big guys in their team too,” he said. “So I think the most important thing for teams is going to be ball control. The longer you have the ball, the harder it is to defend.”
“It’s been a said [that] a lot of the quicker and faster guys are going to have a bit of fun out there, and I guess it’s going to be a bit of a blow-out at times, but there’s also going to be lots of interchanges. The main thing for us will be working together as a team, and I guess that will build confidence for us going into the season.”
The Wests Tigers kick off their Auckland Nines tournament when they take on the Gold Coast Titans at 11:00am AEDT on Saturday, February 15, before following that up later in the afternoon when they take on the Cronulla Sharks at 2:20pm.
Dan Talintyre
Thursday 13 February 2014 9:10 AM
Blair ready to dazzle in Nines homecoming
Heading into the 2014 season as one of the club’s more experienced players, New Zealand international Adam Blair is determined to prove that he remains one of the top forwards in rugby league.
And being back in his home country this weekend for the upcoming Dick Smith Auckland Nines tournament looms as the perfect chance for him to do just that.
Speaking before he made the familiar trip across the Tasman, Blair was flowing in his praise of the new tournament and excited to be playing in front of his friends and family once more.
“I have a lot of friends down there,” he said. “All my mates are going to be there.
“I think it’s going to be a great weekend, it’s a great concept, especially for the faster guys and I think it’s going to be a very enjoyable weekend,” said Blair. “We’ll definitely get a lot out of it.”
With Wests Tigers fielding a relatively young squad including four players that have never tasted first-grade action, Blair’s leadership skills are again expected to come to the fore in New Zealand. Since moving to the Wests Tigers from Melbourne at the start of 2012, Blair has made 47 first-grade appearances for the club, more than half of the club’s Auckland Nines squad, and his extensive first-grade experience will be key in getting the most out of some the younger members.
Especially given the number of young former New Zealand residents heading to Auckland, including former Auckland locals James Gavet and Martin Taupau, the 27-year-old knows how important communication will be throughout the tournament.
“I think communication is going to be the most important thing on the day when you play Nines. You can’t afford to switch off on any play, it’s about staying alive all the time and if we’re not involved, making sure we’re talking off the ball,” said Blair.
Despite the fact that the tournament is expected to favour outside backs and quicker players in general, the Kiwi international also offered great insight into the role that forwards have to play throughout the weekend, but not without conceding that the fast-paced nature of the competition would certainly take its toll on their bigger bodies.
“For us big guys it’s going to be tough, but I guess a lot of other teams are going to have big guys in their team too,” he said. “So I think the most important thing for teams is going to be ball control. The longer you have the ball, the harder it is to defend.”
“It’s been a said [that] a lot of the quicker and faster guys are going to have a bit of fun out there, and I guess it’s going to be a bit of a blow-out at times, but there’s also going to be lots of interchanges. The main thing for us will be working together as a team, and I guess that will build confidence for us going into the season.”
The Wests Tigers kick off their Auckland Nines tournament when they take on the Gold Coast Titans at 11:00am AEDT on Saturday, February 15, before following that up later in the afternoon when they take on the Cronulla Sharks at 2:20pm.
