Highlanders 2022
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And what has happened to Tikoisolomone? If he wasn't ready for SR why give him a full contract as a replacement player. Has he been playing club rugby?
A big decision will need to be made on Solomon Alaimalo. He would offer a lot from fullback if playing.
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@Stargazer said in Highlanders 2022:
@SouthernMann Great write-up. I think you should do an update that includes the QF though.
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@Bovidae said in Highlanders 2022:
And what has happened to Tikoisolomone? If he wasn't ready for SR why give him a full contract as a replacement player. Has he been playing club rugby?
A big decision will need to be made on Solomon Alaimalo. He would offer a lot from fullback if playing.
i know right!? talk about setting ourselves up to fail
1 outside back we said we wanted to build up to be a 10 (koroi) and the barely played him
1 outside back having personal issues that has meant his played one game in two years, how did he manage to play for southland in between?
1 we signed and then decided very early he was one for the future...i mean, he's 23, thats not that young for super level -
@SouthernMann I like your 2023 vision Smith/ Fakatava, Gilbert, Nareki, TUJ, PUJ, CGB & George Bridge🙂
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@FakatavaFuture i would love to see that backline get a few games on the trot...really settle in
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@Tim would be more than happy with those, unsure about cameron but we need someone
I rated Florence when we had him as injury cover....2020 was it? and he was huge when otago played the naki last year
dont know about ioane,,,he looked like he was settling down during the NPC this year....but then i havent heard much of anything about him during the super season
What i think we need...and it wont happen...is for the Lander to work more with southland and otago, get more guys down on to play for both...so we can have them build even better combos with each other. I expect little will change...and next years squad will be a spattering of good players from around the country (largely hawksbay and Ta$man players not wanted by the canes or saders)...and the rest of the squad otago with the odd southland...and one or two guys trying to redeem/reignite their careers
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@Bovidae said in Highlanders 2022:
Lentjes, Harmon and Evans
All pretty limited players.
Brown has made a ton of excuses this year and blamed his limited squad. Well he selected them! Hasn't shown any ability to develop a squad the last few seasons, and his coaching has been poor. He has the excuse of being distracted by Japan, but I think his reputation has seriously declined, and I wouldn't want him anywhere near the ABs. Too much bullshit inside the squad to want him involved with the AB culture.
Really think the NZRU needs to put a stop to Super Rugby head coaches having major appointments overseas at the same time. Has resulted in disastrous seasons for the Chiefs and Highlanders, and squanders the five positions available.
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@Tim Fair comment about Brown. All I am saying is that if players are already contracted it is hard to find space for someone like Florence. I would happily have him at the Chiefs too, but the same applied.
A new coach might have completely different ideas on the merits of some current players. Dermody would have been involved in the selection choices so I wouldn't expect too many changes if he gets the job.
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@Tim im slightly more forgiving, yes, very must distracted...but he's also just not a head coach i think.
He's an assistant/attack/backs coach
I had a similar argument with the coach of the club team i manage on the weekend. We have a very good winger that can cover fullback...but our 10 got pulled up to the 1's and our reserve 10 got injured, so we asked this guys to play 10...and he shat the bed. the coach pulled him at half time and the we had injuries and because we'd already used our reserve backs we had to throw a loosie on the wing...anyway...JF gets shitty at Alistar for playing badly...and i had to point out...we asked him to do it, and he did it because hes a club man. Yes he could have played better and so takes some responsibility for that...but we asked...so thats on us....and then you pulled him rather than just moving him back to the wing...so thats on you!
Browny has said before he wasn't interested in the top job, that he was a assistant/backs/attack coach...but we the fans wanted him....when no one else viable put their hand up...so yes...i dont understand some of the things hes done this year...but most of us wanted him, and thats on us
@Stargazer said in Highlanders 2022:
@Tim At Super Rugby level, Harmon and G. Evans aren't limited players. I'd say they are very handy players at this level. Both very injury prone though. And Evans is 30 years old now, so may be looking at a stint overseas.
i agree, I actually think Harmon has played very well this year keeping in mind he has been injured for a fair chunk of it, similar to lentjes, hes had highs and lows but more highs than lows, and evans was brought in as 3-4 choice 6/8 and due to injury played a lot for his age
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Get Mark Ozich back from the Force. He inherited a poor performing Magpies squad from Phil Crackpott, and made them into one of the better teams in the NPC in a few years time. Used more local talent, recruited better from outside and, most importantly, coached a lot better. He's one of upcoming coaches that NZR shouldn't let go (permanently). On top of that, he has already coached the Highlanders U20s last year.
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@Stargazer said in Highlanders 2022:
Get Mark Ozich back from the Force. He inherited a poor performing Magpies squad from Phil Crackpott, and made them into one of the better teams in the NPC in a few years time. Used more local talent, recruited better from outside and, most importantly, coached a lot better. He's one of upcoming coaches that NZR shouldn't let go (permanently). On top of that, he has already coached the Highlanders U20s last year.
Yep, especially as the Force signed a new (Kiwi) head coach this year too.
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This just popped up, it’s legit the type of thing we could have tried when hunt started struggling
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@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2022:
This just popped up, it’s legit the type of thing we could have tried when hunt started struggling
I think you did when Gilbert was at 10.
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“We were talking about championships before we even got to a playoff,” Smith said. “But that doesn’t buy you a championship. “...it wasn’t built through hard work and trust and selflessness and doing your job creates a try for others, or wanting to tackle for your mate. “Or were they [the All Blacks] just counting their money? Were they here just to get a bonus cheque and get ready for the All Blacks, some of them? “It’s hard to say, but that’s what I saw.” Smith also pointed to rancorous parties after the season had finished, when ill-feeling that had been building up within the squad exploded. “There were fights,” Smith said. “You shouldn’t fight your team-mates. That’s one sign I knew there was poison.” From that viewpoint, he could see the unhappiness building, and said that “double standards” started to creep in when the Highlanders’ All Blacks weren’t being pulled up by the coaches for errors in the same way that younger players were.damn
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@Kiwiwomble yeah the big party at Haskell's was pretty crazy. Dunno if you've read about it or anything, Lima went deep about it on a podcast I heard.
