NPC - news, injuries etc
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@kiwiwomble said in NPC - news, injuries etc:
some more signing for Otago, looks like they're dropping a few at a time building up to the season
Ray Nu'u from Southland after 25 games, 2018-2020.
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This Otago team is starting to look rather stacked.
In the midfield alone, we can pick between Sio Tomkinson, Thomas Umaga-Jensen, Ray Nu'u and Matt Faddes.
It is looking like the strongest Otago team we have fielded for at least a decade.
Do feel sorry for Southland losing Nu'u. But it seems it does relate a lot to off-field decisions.
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@stargazer really feel for Dale McLeod , on the back of a couple of others the stags have lost .
It just confirms to me how lazy several provinces have got in and around their own player development and are happy to splash out cash to win a title .
It might be a short one or 2 year fix for a bit of glory ,but you just know those particular unions somewhere in the future will get bitten financially.
This does the game no favours in my opinion .. -
@steven-harris This also shows that the Highlanders aren't doing much to help Southland.
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I wouldn't blame Otago or the Highlanders.
It does appear as if it is a case of a a player putting their personal circumstances first. Working in Dunedin, potentially having a partner living there, it is a fairly big sacrifice going between the two cities for the season.
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lets also not forget southland have probably splashed some cash on Alaimalo so they're playing the game too and the highlanders would have assisted with that
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@southernmann said in NPC - news, injuries etc:
I wouldn't blame Otago or the Highlanders.
It does appear as if it is a case of a a player putting their personal circumstances first. Working in Dunedin, potentially having a partner living there, it is a fairly big sacrifice going between the two cities for the season.
If that is the case then I would blame them.
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@kiwiwomble there’s more to the Alaimalo story than just cash , the relationship between McLeod and Solly goes back to when he was a youngster,.
Alaimalo was actually lost rugby , went to live in Melbourne during those rebellious teenage years and it was McLeod who knew of his talent and bought him back to northland
.I can totally understand when a union needs to fill a gap because they don’t have the same quality within the union and may need a position filled , but to just stockpile so they have depth pisses me off greatly..have we learnt nothing from..?.Personally I would rather develop the majority of my players from within my own union and if it comes with a bit of pain in terms of results , then so be it , but the long term pay off is loyalty not to mention the financial benefits .
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Jeez, Otago has struggled for the last decade (more), we sign one or two NPC level guys, not like we've signed an all black, to fill gaps (Collins leaving so we need a midfielder), also no one has any idea if it was actually his choice to move from invercargill...and suddenly we're stockpiling? this is fucking ridiculous
Having 4-5 midfielders in you squad (we also have Timu), especially when sio will get a ban at some point is hardly just stockpiling talent, especially when only two of those three are super players
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@kiwiwomble , you mean to say a union that has super team based on their door step , probably can afford to filter some of their more talented players into Highlanders Super Rugby wider training squad, has a much bigger club catchment area than Southland including a University can’t develop a midfielder..It’s called falling asleep at the wheel when it comes to development ..the stockpiling coms was probably more aimed at a couple of other unions
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@steven-harris yes, the famously rich and successful Highlanders based in the bustling metropolis that is Dunedin where three of the five midfielders mentioned have actually come through the club scene and two are actually from dunedin and the one that is leaving is also from dunedin...yeah, otago hasn't done any development...me thinks some of these comments a little misdirected
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@kiwiwomble been a common theme from posters on the Otago rugby union FB that they don’t pick locals that’s why the crowds don’t turn up ..can’t blame the weather ..!
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@steven-harris i remember that being a thing a number of years ago but as i just said, of the six midfielders we've mentioned 3 are from Otago/Dunedin and a fourth came down for uni and has come through the club scene. Only TUJ and Nu'u had played NPC before signing
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Not sure if all of these are confirmed but had a quick look at the potential CM squad for this year and picked out a bit of a highlight squad. Obviously a few dependencies on AB and AB 7s as to whether players will ever make it into the jersey but nice to dream.
Have bolded those I have seen confirmed.
Our usual light spots of hooker and lock are still light. We just never seem to score well in those positions.Props: Laulala, Kepu, Puafisi, Lindenmuth
Hooker: Maka
Locks: Dunshea, Martin, Tatufu, Rarasea
Loose Forwards: Papalii, Sotutu, Slade, Motuga, Taulani
Halves: Roigard, Cowley, Robertson, Page
Centres: Tele'a, Leger, Molia, Savieti
Outside backs: Nabura, Fifita, ENS, Halliday, Laulala -
@steven-harris said in NPC - news, injuries etc:
@stargazer really feel for Dale McLeod , on the back of a couple of others the stags have lost .
It just confirms to me how lazy several provinces have got in and around their own player development and are happy to splash out cash to win a title .
It might be a short one or 2 year fix for a bit of glory ,but you just know bolded textthose particular unions somewhere in the future will get bitten financially.bolded text
This does the game no favours in my opinion ..As has already happened to both those two Unions.
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@steven-harris well as we know, Northland have taken that stance in regard to only selecting players who play club footy here (with a couple of caveats) whether it is viewed a success is subjective.
For us, we do get players from Auckland (mainly, but also further south) who come up and play club footy hoping to get selected (I think if they are national age grade players, then they may get offered a Northland contract before club footy) from there.
IMO it provides a better connection from club to province...I mean Kaliopasi Uluilakepa (from Wellington?) is a good example, came up here, has played well, become a bit of a cult figure at the club, even backed up for some reserve games prior to prems, and was offered a contract.
