Highlanders 2025
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You saw the best and worst of Fakatava in the Wellington-HB game. Near the goal-line he ignores an overlap to his right and attempts to score the try himself. HB did score a few phases later but it highlight's that Fakatava often tries to be too individualistic.
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As I posted across in the AB XV thread incase anyone misses it, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens has undergone neck surgery after sustaining a broken neck on the weekend and is to undergo another surgery later in the week. Hope that it’s not career threatening and he can recover to full health. Feel for the guy, could explain why he wasn’t named in the AB XV.
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@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
As I posted across in the AB XV thread incase anyone misses it, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens has undergone neck surgery after sustaining a broken neck on the weekend and is to undergo another surgery later in the week. Hope that it’s not career threatening and he can recover to full health. Feel for the guy, could explain why he wasn’t named in the AB XV.
Ohh wow poor bugger I hope he recovers well.
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@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
As I posted across in the AB XV thread incase anyone misses it, Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens has undergone neck surgery after sustaining a broken neck on the weekend and is to undergo another surgery later in the week. Hope that it’s not career threatening and he can recover to full health. Feel for the guy, could explain why he wasn’t named in the AB XV.
ok, i had missed that, thanks for the info, the explains a lot
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He rook that really bad hit in the back of the neck/ head from Shalfoon just before half time.
More amazing/ concerning thing is, the fact he came back on for a small patch after half time, after passing his H.I.A
Gutted for the lad. Hope he recovers well and we get to see him back in a landers and taranaki jersey in the future.
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@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
I'm crossing my fingers to say that as he was able to continue it is hopefully only a minor issue which could mean 6-8 weeks. Even if it is 2-3 months with full recovery that is sweet... but gee surely Shalfoon has been cited?
Haven't seen anything about a citing
It was an unusual challenge. JRK jumps high to take the ball and finishes on the ground. Shalfoon arrives a moment later and is just falling to the ground for no reason with his shoulder braced for impact
It's hard to see what he was trying to do other than go for an opportunistic cheap shot.
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gutted for JRK had been playing some real quality rugby, in terms of a Landers perspective all 3 of the Fijian outside are injured. so depending on recovery time frames I think outsides such as Michael Manson, Jack Gray & Issac Hutchinson would be candidates to be injury cover. 2 of them are obviously possibly chances to be signed up the road.
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Obviously, this is largely a moot point as the season is still five months away, but if the Highlanders were to play tomorrow, our only fit midfielders and outside backs would be Tele'a, J Whaanga, Tangitau, Hurley...
Gilbert, Te Hiwi, Umaga-Jensen, M Whaanga, Nareki, JRK, Tavatavanawai and Lowe are all injured.
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@Bovidae said in Highlanders 2025:
Manson:
He fielded a couple of calls about Super Rugby but is back to United States, where he will line up for Utah in Major League Rugby, where he was the competition’s top try scorer with 14 last year.
This is one of the stumbling blocks NZ Rugby is facing with MLR. A good number of players at the level under Super Rugby are not available for Super Rugby because they've got multi-year contracts in the US. Believe the Highlanders encountered this with Henry Bell last year as well. This group of players can go well in the NPC, but unavailable for the next Super season.
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To be honest by the looks of things so far I’m very disappointed with the Highlanders selectors/recruitment team. Seems like it’s going to be full of mediocre Otago players again sprinkled with some outsiders. Hope a few of, Semisi Tupou, Isaac Hutchison, Taumoefolau, Jack Gray, Manson and Joe Johnson get looked at for a squad spot.
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@HLD2023Champions said in Highlanders 2025:
To be honest by the looks of things so far I’m very disappointed with the Highlanders selectors/recruitment team. Seems like it’s going to be full of mediocre Otago players again sprinkled with some outsiders. Hope a few of, Semisi Tupou, Isaac Hutchison, Taumoefolau, Jack Gray, Manson and Joe Johnson get looked at for a squad spot.
Interesting comment. Not one I agree with. For a long time fans have complained the Highlanders were just a patch up job of bringing in players from elsewhere. That there needs to be more of a local focus. Which there clearly is. Medicore Otago players; the Otago players in the squad are Ma'u, Wingham, Bell, Holland, Stodart, Haig, Sanders (the second year of his contract), Arscott, Hastie, Faleafaga, Millar, Te Hiwi, Gilbert, Umaga-Jensen, Nareki and Hurley. Apart from Faleafaga, J Whaanga, Te Hiwi and Sanders (hopefully he will be gone). You'd say most are deserving pf their spots and there aren't obvious better options. J Whaanga is a long-term option. I don't want to see him on the wing. Needs to live on protein and gym sessions to become a long-term centre. Which of the Otago players are medicore and who should replace them. For example with your named guys, Taumoefolau plays for MP, Manson is going back to the States and Tupou is viewed as being behind Stodart as an 8 candidate. Interestingly Tupou is originally from OBHS and Stodart from Southland.
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Going to be straight up honest here ..
Gilbert mid
Bell mid
Arscott mid
Sanders ass
Nareki Injury prone (waste of space)
Umaga-Jensen injury prone (but still excellent player) -
@HLD2023Champions said in Highlanders 2025:
Going to be straight up honest here ..
Gilbert mid
Bell mid
Arscott mid
Sanders ass
Nareki Injury prone (waste of space)
Umaga-Jensen injury prone (but still excellent player)That is identifying players to be booted. What I asked was who is available to replace them. It is easy to say someone is shit. But more difficult to say this player is available fits into the needs of the club. Nareki is still a top Super player when available and injury free. Umaga-Jensen still does a job. Same with Gilbert, who has certainly slipped down the pecking order.
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Gilbert 😬😬😬
My bad didn’t read it properly haha, I’ll give you some names then -
Non-Orago players are probably more of a problem than the Otago players. Let's remember we signed Jonah Lowe to three years. DLB,who battles to keep a spot in the Canterbury team will be back next year. We can only sign players who are available and want to move to Dunedin. Players can't be forced to go to the Highlanders.
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@HLD2023Champions said in Highlanders 2025:
To be honest by the looks of things so far I’m very disappointed with the Highlanders selectors/recruitment team. Seems like it’s going to be full of mediocre Otago players again sprinkled with some outsiders. Hope a few of, Semisi Tupou, Isaac Hutchison, Taumoefolau, Jack Gray, Manson and Joe Johnson get looked at for a squad spot.
Yeah I’m with @SouthernMann here, have to disagree. In the past we’ve reverted to signing players who haven’t worked out in their previous franchises and are usually past the 25/26 year old mark so wanting 1 last dig before heading offshore. Even trying offshore 10s that are into their 30’s and haven’t exactly worked out. Almost a last resort in some instances.
This season we’ve gone out and picked up Tangitau(21), Vikena(23), Lasaga(22), Stodart(21), J Whaanga(20), Finn Hurley(21), and so I’m told we have signed TK Howden which is yet to be announced, he is 23.
All of the above guys are huge talents that are yet to peak and hit their prime. It’s one of our better off seasons for signings in recent memory. Offering promising young talent in other franchises an opportunity to really compete for game time and I’m sure the addition of Jamie Joseph has also helped bring some of them down. Keep in mind, a lot of last years starters are young lads too, the likes of Withy, Millar, Ma’u, Haig, Holland, JRK. We are in a better place than we have been in I’d say the last 5/6 years in terms of how the near future looks.
Seems like you’re looking at this with the glass half empty, as a Lander fan I can understand that but when you take a step back and look at the bigger picture it’s definitely not as bad as you think. If anything, it’s promising and gives us fans something to actually look forward to.
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