NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Rugby / Super Rugby

Gregor Paul: How the Blues, with Beauden Barrett, can replicate the Chiefs and become contenders

Gregor Paul
By Gregor Paul
Rugby analyst·NZ Herald·
13 Jul, 2019 04:30 AM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Can Beauden Barrett become the Blues' version of Aaron Cruden? Photos / Photosport

Can Beauden Barrett become the Blues' version of Aaron Cruden? Photos / Photosport

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

COMMENT:

If the theory is right, then when Beauden Barrett turns up at some stage for the Blues next year, he'll wave a magic wand and transform them into a championship team.

There's long been universal agreement from those who know plenty to those who know less, that Super Rugby is all about the No 10s. Have a good one and you are a chance of winning the title; don't have one and forget about it.

No team has strengthened this theory more than the Blues. When they won in 1996 and 1997 Carlos Spencer was the most exciting first five in the competition and when they won again in 2003, he produced what would still to this day be considered the most outrageously entertaining 14 weeks of rugby.

Spencer left in 2005 and took with him all hope of the Blues ever winning another title. Since he left the Blues have limped through endless hopeless seasons with no-names and no-hopers bungling away in the No 10 jersey.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

It's not as if having a mediocre playmaker has been their only problem but still, the theory has long been that if they fixed their issues at No 10, they would fix everything.

So now we get the chance to find out if this has all been wishful thinking bunkum or rock solid analysis.

Beauden Barrett speaks to media after announcing his signing the Blues. Photo / Photosport
Beauden Barrett speaks to media after announcing his signing the Blues. Photo / Photosport

Long-suffering Blues sceptics will be wary about believing transformation could be this simple. The Blues, after all, were still fairly hopeless this year. They finished 13th, two of their campaign stalwarts, Ma'a Nonu and Melani Nanai have left and they have three halfbacks who between them can't get the job done.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

To imagine that Barrett can simply turn up and change everything requires a considerable leap of faith, but there is a precedent when it comes to one man making all the difference.

The best example to see how much impact one playmaker can have is Aaron Cruden's move to the Chiefs in 2012.

Discover more

Sport|rugby

Beauden to the Blues: The huge clue everyone missed

12 Jul 02:04 AM
All Blacks

Beauden Barrett's agony: 'I hope Canes fans understand'

12 Jul 05:00 PM
All Blacks

First Beauden, now Jordie: Blues target second Barrett

12 Jul 05:00 AM
Super Rugby

The Blues' annual hunt for a saviour: Is Beauden Barrett the one?

12 Jul 05:00 PM

The Chiefs had been a bit of a horror show in 2011 finishing 10th and the next year, after Cruden arrived, they were champions.

The year after they were also champions and they haven't missed the playoffs since 2011.

It's not quite presenting the whole picture, though, to suggest that the only arrival at the Chiefs in 2012 was Cruden and that he alone changed everything.

Dave Rennie also started as a new head coach, while Sonny Bill Williams and Brodie Retallick were added to the playing roster.

So there was a fair bit going on. But then in fairness, the picture at the Blues might be similar next year.

Leon MacDonald won't be a new coach as such next year, but the fact he was dropped into the role so late for this year's campaign and left to scramble before the start of the season, meant he never really had a fair chance of managing the team the way he would have liked.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He'll get that next year and could prove to be a Rennie-figure, while the Blues already have their Retallick.

Blues coach Leon MacDonald. Photo / Photosport
Blues coach Leon MacDonald. Photo / Photosport

Patrick Tuipulotu has the potential to be that same epic force in the middle of the field, running over the top of everything he finds in his path, cleaning out rucks with equally destructive capacity while also winning possession in the air.

The Blues of course, did lure Williams from the Chiefs in 2017, but he won't be around next year, meaning they need to find another high impact backline performer.

But could it be that Jordie Barrett is going to drop a bombshell in the next week or so and announce that he is heading to the Blues to join his brother?

He's been made a compelling offer to come and needs to decide whether he's going to stay with the Hurricanes, take up with the Blues or shift to the Highlanders.

If the Blues can snare him – and that has to be a strong possibility – they will have enough new bits and pieces at their disposal to instantly become a more dangerous and credible team.

Jordie Barrett continues to have his doubters but his error rate this year has reduced and he was the man who initially sparked the Hurricanes into life in the semifinal.

He's young, talented and eager and maybe most importantly he's got a booming right boot and the Blues, as well as Nanai played this year, have been screaming out for a fullback with a long kicking game.

It's maybe a step too far to believe they will go from 13th to winning the title but in signing Barrett they have pulled off one fairytale of sorts by providing definitive proof that if you kiss enough frogs, you will find your Prince Charming. Maybe they have another in them.

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from Super Rugby

Premium
Business|companies

Whānau Ora funds probe: Pasifika Futures’ family ties questioned

03 Jul 05:00 PM
Super Rugby

Moana Pasifika’s owners 'strongly reject' misuse of public funding claims amid probe

28 Jun 04:55 AM
Super Rugby

'So much life in me': Hurricanes player's partner has 'rare and aggressive' cancer

27 Jun 12:25 AM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Super Rugby

Premium
Whānau Ora funds probe: Pasifika Futures’ family ties questioned

Whānau Ora funds probe: Pasifika Futures’ family ties questioned

03 Jul 05:00 PM

Pasifika Futures hired Ah Mau Sports, owned by the CEO's daughter and son-in-law.

Moana Pasifika’s owners 'strongly reject' misuse of public funding claims amid probe

Moana Pasifika’s owners 'strongly reject' misuse of public funding claims amid probe

28 Jun 04:55 AM
'So much life in me': Hurricanes player's partner has 'rare and aggressive' cancer

'So much life in me': Hurricanes player's partner has 'rare and aggressive' cancer

27 Jun 12:25 AM
Super Rugby Pacific sees viewership increase

Super Rugby Pacific sees viewership increase

25 Jun 08:25 PM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP