In 2014, he earned a lot more game time and had nailed down the starting halfback spot for the Blues by the end of the season, dislodging the far more experienced Weepu. However, all the momentum he'd built up through 2014 was lost when a broken foot picked up playing club rugby forced him to miss the entire 2015 campaign, but, fully fit in 2016, new head-coach Tana Umaga made him the franchise's first choice number 9 once more and he went on to play in all 15 of their matches during a slightly disappointing season which ended with them in 11th place in the overall standings.