The Blues are on light duties during their Easter bye week, and as their hunt for a first away win in almost two years continues, Rieko Ioane is one of the few likely to go to the break satisfied with his performance against the Reds in Brisbane.
It was his bust in the midfield from an attacking lineout which put Ihaia West over for a converted try early on - a possible sign of things to come if Tana Umaga decides to play the 19-year-old at centre rather than the right wing - and the New Zealand sevens star never appeared fazed in his first game at this level.
"Rieko... is obviously a player of the future," assistant coach Glenn Moore said after the 25-25 draw at Suncorp Stadium. "He's an exciting player, he was busy, he went looking for work. He was impressive when he had the ball in his hands and I think he'll grow after having his first opportunity."
Ioane was near the top of the attacking lists over the weekend with three breaks (Joseph Tomane, Ardie Savea and Kurtley Beale had four), and 14 carries in possession (Waratahs first-five Beale was top with 22).
He has pace, good handling skills and an ability to make good decisions under pressure - all qualities honed in the World Series sevens competition and not necessarily shared by all of his Blues teammates.
