Otago 2024
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Being first year out of school, it will be interesting to see how he is managed into professional rugby. Looks like the best rugby player to come out of Dunedin since Ben Smith, there will be some massive hopes around the kid. I'd hope he will be a fully contracted lander by 2026.
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Looks like a decision has been made by both Otago and the Highlanders not to push any of the young outside backs through. That they will go out of province to find another winger.
No imports signed but Otago on hunt for an outside back
Otago has not signed an Australian winger for the NPC as rumoured. But the organisation is in the market for an outside back. Otago Rugby...
*No imports signed but Otago on hunt for an outside back
By Adrian SeconiOtago has not signed an Australian winger for the NPC as rumoured.
But the organisation is in the market for an outside back.
Otago Rugby Association chief executive Richard Kinley denied the team had inked a deal with an overseas player.
However, Otago did have a lack of depth in the spot and Kinley said they were open to finding someone from outside of the region.
"We want to pick local players and from the club competition", Kinley said.
"However, if we think it is not in the best interests for the development of the next best player then we are not going to put them in an unsafe environment and we will look to go outside the region.
"We have not done that very often during the last few years. But there is a shortage of outside backs, I’m not going to deny that.
"There are some good young backs coming through. But on that ... we met with Jamie Joseph and the high-performance staff over at the Highlanders three weeks ago.
"We went through all the players at that next level down to assess what would be the best level of competition for their development and we did not identify any outside backs we felt were ready for a starting position in the NPC.
"A lot of the teams we are playing against are full of Super Rugby players, so we’ve got to make sure we are giving the players that time so they are ready when we put them out on the paddock", Kinley said.
Otago has 27 players on their books but only two of them are specialist wingers — Jona Nareki and Jeremiah Asi.
Josh Whaanga played on the wing for most of last season but Otago still view him as a midfielder, and Asi has been out with a shoulder injury but is expected to be back this weekend.
Asi plays for University in the Dunedin premier grade and they are playing Green Island at Miller Park.
Kinley said Otago would release their contracted players such as Asi for the club playoffs. But those decisions would be made on a week-by-week basis.
Players who have had a busy workload with the Highlanders are unlikely to feature for their club.
"We have a couple of players who have a few little niggles as well. But there will be players available."
Otago will open their NPC campaign against Southland in Invercargill on August 10.
They have a couple of warm-up matches before that.
They play Southland in Gore on July 26 and Canterbury in Rolleston on August 2.
An Otago high-performance team was going to play a match against an Otago Country selection team last week but the game was axed because of the difficulties around the timing of the game and player availability.*
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The solution to our outside back search should be Tangitau. Auckland is stacked with outside backs. He will barely get a start with them. Send him off down to Dunedin early!
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Seems they have dropped the Otago squad rather quietly. As indicated by @frugby only new guy is Ale Aho, plus Coltman. Running a small squad of only 28. Southern No 8 Konrad Toleafoa, Kaikorai loosie Lucas Casey and Dunedin outside back Kyan Rangitutia are injury replacements. Pledger and Lolofie not listed, but only two guys at hooker and halfback named. No Australian outside back, at the moment.
Lock Aho only new cap in Otago squad of 28
University lock Ale Aho is the sole new cap in an Otago NPC squad featuring 28 players back from last year. There are also 21 players in the squad...
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Hopefully we name Pledger and Lolofie to development contracts but you would think they would be good enough for a full contract. I hope this isn’t a case of being snapped up elsewhere… seems odd to only name 3 specialist outside backs as well so as it states in the articles above it will be interesting to see if there are any developments there, definitely another one needed. Can’t rely on your inside backs to cover wing.
Overall, a fairly solid squad. No excuses for Donnelly this year, he’s had an underwhelming stint for Otago so hopefully he can turn that around. You get the feeling it’s now or never for him.
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im no coach but it just looks quiet unbalanced, light in key positions (hooker, lock, 9 and 10) but making up the numbers with loosies and midfielders that can cover multiple positions i guess
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The squad has three fewer players than previous years. I'd expect Pledger and Lolofie do end up joining in some capacity. Pledger has been named in the U19 side as well. Have to remember, he is still straight out of school. In previous years the injury cover young guys have ended up playing decent role.
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@Landers92 Pledger is in the Otago U19s. I'd expect he will spend a fair bit of time with the main squad though.
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@Landers92 said in Otago 2024:
Interesting to see A-One Lolofie in the Otago Metro Development side but no Dylan Pledger named. Here’s hoping he’s an inclusion into the full NPC squad…
Otago won't let this one slip... could be having a surgery or something, you just don't know with these things.
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Devlopment and Injury Squad:
Lucas Casey (Kaik) LF
Quinten Holland (Dun) LK/LF
A-One Lolofie (Zing) HK
Christian MacEwan (GI) LK
Stan McClure (Kaik) WG
Dylan Pledger (Kaik) HB
Kyan Rangitutia (Dun) WG
Max Ratcliffe (Dun) LF
Moana Takataka (Kaik) PR
Josh Tengblad (Dun) LK
Konrad Toleafoa (Sou) LF -
@Landers92 said in Otago 2024:
Any word on this Australian winger that was thrown around in here a few weeks back? Not announced in the squad or as development/injury cover…
Potentially Dwyer's negative feedback may have knocked it on the head.
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Otago team named to play its first pre season game against Southland on Friday.
Some interesting selections, looking forward to seeing the squad have its first run and build. Nice to see some boys rewarded for strong club seasons along with plenty of young guys getting an early chance.
Southlands Facebook page will be streaming this I’m pretty sure.
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@Landers92 Is that centre the same Levi Harmon that came from Bush to play for Poneke about eight or nine years ago? Fronted for my Axemen as well but got a bad injury pre-season that put him out for the whole year. Think he buggered off back to Poneke the next season before disappearing somewhere, at least I don't recall hearing his name mentioned in Wellington club rugby for a fair few years now.
