Highlanders 2026
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@Landers92 theres been a lot of talk in the media that Frizzell is planning on returning in 2027 to make a run for RWC.
He lives in Dunedin and my impression seems to be that there’s a strong chance he wants to return to the landers.
To be clear though. That’s not inside scoop, that’s just the sense I get from reading a few different articles this last week.
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Hopefully we can get to a point where there is high quality competition between players of international standards within positions. We have seen at with other franchises and it does show good health.
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2026:
Hopefully we can get to a point where there is high quality competition between players of international standards within positions. We have seen at with other franchises and it does show good health.
I suspect Frizell returning will depend a bit on how the All Blacks go this year. From the Highlanders perspective, would we want a 33 year-old who is returning just to go to the World Cup before shooting off again?
I'll reserve judgement, but if you could keep them, Haig and Howden is your blindside flank sorted for the foreseeable.
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@frugby said in Highlanders 2026:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2026:
Hopefully we can get to a point where there is high quality competition between players of international standards within positions. We have seen at with other franchises and it does show good health.
I suspect Frizell returning will depend a bit on how the All Blacks go this year. From the Highlanders perspective, would we want a 33 year-old who is returning just to go to the World Cup before shooting off again?
I'll reserve judgement, but if you could keep them, Haig and Howden is your blindside flank sorted for the foreseeable.
I'm more than happy with a Haig/Howden mix. Haig will come right. Never looked himself this season. Mix those two up between bench and starting. But, if Frizzell wants to, we should look to accommodate him.
It would be nice to be in a similar position to the Chiefs with their loosies/halfbacks/midfield, Crusaders with hookers/outsides, Hurricanes with loosies. We lose some spots and we are in a world of hurt.
You don't want to be playing your best players every minute of every game.
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People forget Frizzell can and has covered lock for the Highlanders. If we loose Dunshea end of next year, Frizzell slotting into the second row could be massive while Stodart, Tengblad and whichever other young locks we have develop.
We can't afford to turn down a world class player, who wants to join the team. Even if it just provides depth.
Also remember how there was talk we were targeting an overseas ten. Could that be Sopoanga returning home? Same with prop could that be Ma'fau Fia? Both are still playing well overseas and Jamie gave them both a shot years ago. Could be he calls a couple of the fellas back for a final season or two. Bonus points if he gets Aaron Smith back for 2027.
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was he "world class"? excellent for a couple of years at super level....but didn't kick on at international, his final season was more average for us form memory and by 2027 he will have been swanning around the Japanese league for 5 years...its not like we're talking about bringing back a great rugby mind that will wont have dulled even if the body has
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@handa457 said in Highlanders 2026:
People forget Frizzell can and has covered lock for the Highlanders. If we loose Dunshea end of next year, Frizzell slotting into the second row could be massive while Stodart, Tengblad and whichever other young locks we have develop.
We can't afford to turn down a world class player, who wants to join the team. Even if it just provides depth.
Also remember how there was talk we were targeting an overseas ten. Could that be Sopoanga returning home? Same with prop could that be Ma'fau Fia? Both are still playing well overseas and Jamie gave them both a shot years ago. Could be he calls a couple of the fellas back for a final season or two. Bonus points if he gets Aaron Smith back for 2027.
Nah to Sopoaga. He's been playing div 2! Same to Fia and Aaron Smith. Both Sopoaga and Smith live primarily up in the Waikato too.
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I can confirm there was a short discussion held between the Highlanders and Sopoaga for next season. I was told this a few weeks back and have heard nothing about it since.
Unsure of how far along those discussions got but what I can say is that he stated his preference was to be up north(Waikato) around family, this leads me to believe Moana will be the favorites to land his signature.
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Glad it didn't come to fruition. He isn't the player from 10 years ago.
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Just thinking r.e those Jamie comments, the only player they have seemingly lost who they wanted to keep was Gilbert. At a guess, I'd say this means we are looking for 2x props (DLB & Wingham gone), No hookers, No locks (Dunshea & Tengblad signed), 1x Loose forward (Michaels gone), No halfbacks (Pledger & Lennox signed - Lennox was eluded as having signed on the Taranaki live-stream last night), 1x First Five (Jacomb?), 1x Midfielder (Umaga-Jensen gone, Tele'a re-signed), 1x Winger (Manson & Lowe gone)...
Only a guess, but I reckon the only spots not yet filled are probably the first five slot (unless Jacomb has already signed), the winger slot, and at least one of the prop slots. The loose forwards will be sorted, and I'd expect the same in the midfield.
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What happens if this Jacomb signing fails… Do they have a backup option? I can’t go another season with Cam Miller/Robinson as our starting 10 lmao
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I won't be angry, just very very disappointed if we retain Henry Bell.
Yeah we desperately need that Jacomb rumour to be true. Other wise it will be a shitshow of swapping Millar, Robinson and even the likes of Hurley and potentially Solomon if he eventuates
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They are looking overseas For a 10. I’m not saying that Jacomb rumour isn’t true, but it does sort of feel like one of those ones which people are talking about “and hearing from several people” because several people are talking about it. @Landers92 have you heard anything on this one?
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@SouthernMann I get the frustrations, but I think it is an odd hill to die in.
The reason I say that, is because Taylor took really good strides forward at the end of the season. Is there anyone better than him right now legitimately available, who wants to come?
George Bell is a pipe dream. Codie Taylor will play limited Super Rugby over the next couple of years, they have plenty of game time to go around. If Ioane Moananu is signed up, then who else is there?
Can you do better than Bell as a third pick? Possibly, but there is a local guy who you know will train hard, will do what is asked of him, and can be replaced if say Kempton comes on well - but he is at least one year away.
You bring in an ordinary bloke from elsewhere (Vikena) and you sit there wondering whether it was even worth it. You’d rather Bell, than a Leni Apisai like we’ve had in the past.
They have a long-term plan, and I’d be inclined to believe they will be lining up a hooker for 2027.
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Better hookers than Bell.
Both the Crusaders U20s boys, O'Reilly, Basson, most provinces have better hookers than Henry Bell. Bell wasn't even the no1 for Otago last season. I know you are loyal to him. But jeez. He did his job for a year in 2024. Time to move on.
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@SouthernMann You’re missing the point. As we have seen with Taylor, it takes the young guys time. Can’t keep contracting children.
If you can get the best in class young guy, make the exception, but otherwise just wait. O’Reilly isn’t the answer as the third choice. Guys like that are no good for squad stability.
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@frugby said in Highlanders 2026:
@SouthernMann You’re missing the point. As we have seen with Taylor, it takes the young guys time. Can’t keep contracting children.
If you can get the best in class young guy, make the exception, but otherwise just wait. O’Reilly isn’t the answer as the third choice. Guys like that are no good for squad stability.
I'm not missing the point. We are perfectly capable of throwing out other guys who aren’t up to standard. Yet when it is Henry Bell. We stand steadfastly behind him, apparently.
You asked me to list hookers who are better than him. Which I did. Also noting that Vikena is off contract in 2026. If he needs a rocket and doesn't get renewed. We may need to replace two. Surely we would be better off starting with moving Bell on. With Coltman coming back, who knows how much time he gets watching NPC rather than playing.
