Otago 2024
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From Stuffs article about Cory Brown joining the Highlanders.
‘Thomas Umaga-Jensen has not been named in Otago’s final preseason game against Canterbury on Friday, but The Post understands his return is imminent, while lock Will Tucker is about two or three weeks away from playing again.’
Something positive to take out of today I guess……
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We shouldn't go 0-6. Should at least beat Southland in week one. In terms of blame. It is easy to blame the coach. He is probably not the right guy. Bug if we fail again this year. The players need to twke some responsibility. 18 Super and above level players shouldn't be conceding point like that, and failing to score any themselves. It is hard to judge the game without seeing it. The Southland game is unlikely to be a good bench mark either after they got flogged by a rock star Ta$man side. There are some good young players in the squad, they do need to take some personal responsibility for the results of the team
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How are we feeling heading into this season and week 1? My thoughts are below.
There should be no excuses this season. If I’ve added it up correctly, we have 21 players in this squad with super rugby experience. 1 former All Black in Coltman and 1 present All Black in Bower. Still a young squad overall but plenty of experience in this squad so that shouldn’t be an excuse this year.
Top half of the ladder should be the goal for this team, 7th or above. Personally I’m hoping we get in the top 6 but there are plenty of other good teams and our recent record leaves a lot to be desired. Tom Donnelly led teams haven’t had a lot of success but hopefully this season it can be turned around with the majority of these guys being in Super rugby set ups with another year of experience and time in professional set ups under the belt.
Wanting to see Haig and Holland continue their great form. Cam and Ajay continue to fight for that 10 jersey and bring the best out in each other along with seeing Josh Whaaga and Finn Hurley take that next step and really putting their hands up.
Overall, I’m looking forward to this season but not getting my hopes up too high. Bring it on!
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dont do it....dont get our hopes up...almost every year we think we've improved on previous squads....and nothing changes
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@Kiwiwomble Yup. Which is pretty much what I’ve just said haha. Been following this team for too long to get fooled again. Until I’m proven otherwise, I’ll carry that attitude towards the team.
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@Landers92 sorry, i read your first paragraph and self preservation stopped me reading the rest
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I'm a bit confused how this season will play out. The comp is a tough one to gauge. It will likely be Donnelly's last year, and hopefully he can get some positive results. I don't think he should cop all the blame though, if the team fails again. 20+ fully blown professional rugby players have a responsibility to make tackles, and set up other guys most play year run with. There shouldn't be communication breakdowns between guys who have gone through from being Highlanders to Otago reps.
The lads I'm interested in. Finn Hurley. Hoping he gets the full season at fullback. Last year at times he played like a cat on a hot tin roof. All over the show. Hopefully a year with the Landers will have him balance the structure he needs as a top level fullback with the natural flair he has.
Fabian Holland: should be the best lock in the NPC.
Oli Haig: keen to see him running wide with ball in hand, and should be mistake free in D.
Jake Te Hiwi: no tits for hands.
Cam Millar: show something in attack. If he can't be a threat at NPC level. There isn't much hope at Super level. On the same level. Ajay Faleafaga needs to show some game management, over and above just general highlights.
The Halfbacks: which one of these two is going to have to step aside for Pledger (as long as we keep him).
Will Stodart: surely he is in our top forward pack. Just might mean he needs to play a bit of lock. He is too good to leave out.
Josh Whaanga: keen to see how he goes with building on his size, and using it to his advantage. He needs to be a player who can dominate over the gainline.
Rohan Wingham: was good in the NPC last year. Got beaten up at Super Level. Needs to do to his provincial opponents what his Super rivals did to him.
If we can see growth with those players, and we miss the mark in a few games. I'd still consider the season to be a success. -
It would be nice to see the teams fixing its obvious failings on attack and defence. Otago has the individual players to go far in the competition but the brain farts and what seems like a non existent game plan is the what holds them back. The amount of times an outside back shot up, missed a tackle, and a try was a scored down the flank was infuriating. Also the complete lack of direction and intention on attack past 3-4 phases. You’d watch them and think, what the hell are they actually trying to do here? Better game management and direction must be the big improvement
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@SouthernMann said in Otago 2024:
It will likely be Donnelly's last year, and hopefully he can get some positive results. I don't think he should cop all the blame though, if the team fails again. 20+ fully blown professional rugby players have a responsibility to make tackles, and set up other guys most play year run with. There shouldn't be communication breakdowns between guys who have gone through from being Highlanders to Otago reps.
Here’s hoping it’s his last year in charge. He has been well below par every season he has been in charge, absolutely no reason to have been that poor. Yes, players do have to take some of the blame and need to step up but at the end of the day this guy has been in charge since 2020 and there have been little to no signs of improvement. Sooner he is out the door the better in my opinion.
Like I said above, hopefully he can turn it around this year and the players with their cohesion and experienced gained in super rugby puts us in a better place and get some results(top half of the comp). Let’s hope last weekends pre season result is nothing to read into.
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I believe this will be TD's last year...
Also, we might have a really good pack, but I think we could be quickly exposed for depth in the backline. We only have two outside backs, and all of our midfielders are rather slow.
Timu, Te Hiwi, Gilbert etc. may all be Super Rugby players, but they are also players we want the Highlanders to move on.
I have zero faith in the coaching staff, and sure, TD isn't solely to blame if things go wrong, but he is absolutely the common denominator. Last year, with a pretty similar squad, we were atrocious.
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I'm not defending Donnelley. Although, if you look at the team last year, it was sometimes running a backline mostly made up of players who were still young enough to play colts rugby. While 'a pretty similar squad' is returning. A year of professional rugby should be quite advantageous for some of the lads. He has overseen a change in squad make up, really turning it to a more youth focus. The squad development from 2019 to 24 is worth having a look at.
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Let alone the fans, they’re failing their players. The coach writing them off before a ball has even been kicked… coaching 101 is pump your team up in the media.
Don’t need to say we are going to win the title, but at least talk about how the likes of Bell, Holland and Haig enjoyed good Super seasons, so we’re hoping to kick on for a Top 8 finish.
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I hope Holland and Haig were watching that ABs match and realising how good of an opportunity they have in the next 12-18months
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We host Auckland on Friday. It does not get any easier. Lose here and I’ll be worried the young heads will begin to drop, hopefully we can put on a better display that we did on Saturday to at least keep it close.
Really need all injured players available this coming weekend or it’s already going to be a tough ask. Stuff have put out an article saying it could be a long season for Otago, unfortunately I would have to agree.
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@Landers92 all you can hope to see if a better attitude and a better game plan. Don’t mind if they get beaten by a clearly better team, what I will mind if it’s the same old stupid shit with a defeatist attitude.
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Can't quite believe that two weeks later we are 2-1, but couldn't really be happier! Haig and Umaga-Jensen have just totally improved everyone around them, can't quite believe the impact they have made.
Bodes well for the rest of the NPC season and for the Landers.
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@frugby said in Otago 2024:
Can't quite believe that two weeks later we are 2-1, but couldn't really be happier! Haig and Umaga-Jensen have just totally improved everyone around them, can't quite believe the impact they have made.
Bodes well for the rest of the NPC season and for the Landers.
Umaga Jensen brings calm and balance to the backline which the Highlanders missed as well. All of a sudden Gilbert isn’t used as the battering ram and is playing with confidence, has a bit more time on the ball and can start ball playing and playing what’s in front of him again. It’s no coincidence he is playing a lot better with TUG outside him.
Here’s hoping the chemistry with Millar through to Hurley continues to build as well, all of a sudden the backline is slowly becoming a strength.
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Yesterday's game was the best I have seen from Millar. The dummy kick, flat pass to Hurley was the best attacking play I've seen him make. Josh Whaanga is showing the value of his height. He has thrown a couple of brillant off loads. Have been hugely impressed with Hurley over the first three games. Every week he has shown big improvements. His D has been one of the highlights. Really enjoys taking down big blokes
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Sam Gilbert in a moon boot today at training
