Highlanders 2020
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Collins is actually a pretty decent counter attacking fullback, but his kicking game is terrible, and he makes a lot of unforced mistakes. Positioning is often poor too.
He somehow seems to perform worse at NPC level than Super Rugby.
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@African-Monkey said in Highlanders 2020:
Blues players and signings get criticised all the time on here which people are well within their rights to do
By non-Blues fans!
In Blues threads!!!
Which is fine...
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@African-Monkey Mostly by Blues fans, though.
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@African-Monkey said in Highlanders 2020:
@Bones Really? Blues players and signings get criticised all the time on here which people are well within their rights to do yet 1 player you guys sign gets criticised and you have a big sulk about it. As I said earlier, if he does well, good on him, if not, then so what? He's probably only a depth signing anyway as I would assume that McKay/Hunt will be preferred ahead of him.
Haha! You're a sensitive wee soul eh! That was a big sulk? No wonder you get so upset at people daring to criticise a blues player.
Most of the highlanders fans seem OK with the signing, Blues fans (apart from @Tim ) have just come on to slag off Collins and/or Umaga.
Definitely there for depth, he'll do well though and will look more than comfortable at super level and get plenty of game time.
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@Duluth Exactly. The amount of traffic Blues gameday threads get especially after we lose to let us know about it is a lot which there's nothing wrong with of course. It'nothing to sulk about though.
@Stargazer Yeah and? When you support a team that hasn't made the finals for 8 years, supporters of that team are going to criticise under performing players on a sports forum that's usually how it works.
@Bones And so are you
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@African-Monkey said in Highlanders 2020:
@Duluth Exactly. The amount of traffic Blues gameday threads get especially after we lose to let us know about it is a lot which there's nothing wrong with of course. It'nothing to sulk about though.
Hah fucken hell, what a load of shit. Just like "big sulk". I see you appear to be one of those that must find offense in everything, the way the world is going eh!
I am what?
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@Bones A sensitive wee soul
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@African-Monkey said in Highlanders 2020:
@Bones A sensitive wee soul
Oh, how so? Am I one of those many, many posters that see the blues lose and deliberately go on tsf, find the blues thread and give them grief about losing and criticise their Auckland players? Probably eh, they're bloody everywhere!
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@Tim said in Highlanders 2020:
Collins is actually a pretty decent counter attacking fullback, but his kicking game is terrible, and he makes a lot of unforced mistakes. Positioning is often poor too.
I think you are being too kind about his counter attacking. A couple of good moments offset by his brain farts
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@Duluth said in Highlanders 2020:
@Tim said in Highlanders 2020:
Collins is actually a pretty decent counter attacking fullback, but his kicking game is terrible, and he makes a lot of unforced mistakes. Positioning is often poor too.
I think you are being too kind to his counter attacking. A couple of good moments offset by his brain farts
When he gets moving forward he links very well and is good at finding space for others. Some brilliant brain farts, I'm picking they'll disappear.
He pulls the right faces though.
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@Bones said in Highlanders 2020:
Some brilliant brain farts, I'm picking they'll disappear.
Stop blaming Umaga
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I remember hearing how much Tevita Li was going to carve up at the Highlanders once he got out of the Blues. Then he become a comedic target by Highlanders fans on here.
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@KiwiMurph said in Highlanders 2020:
I remember hearing how much Tevita Li was going to carve up at the Highlanders once he got out of the Blues. Then he become a comedic target by Highlanders fans on here.
Who was saying that? Sounds funny but I can't imagine there being much evidence to back it up.
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@Stargazer replacement for Rayasi next year at the Canes due to him being away with the sevens?
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@mikey07 I think they might go with Mark Telea from Harbour. He was in the wider squad last year and has scored a few good tries this year already.
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@Duluth said in Highlanders 2020:
I think Collins will continue to shit the bed at fullback. He might go better at 12/13
Which is where he started his FC career before somehow being converted to fullback somewhere along the line. So I agree.
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@shark said in Highlanders 2020:
Which is where he started his FC career before somehow being converted to fullback somewhere along the line. So I agree.
When he signed for the Blues he was being talked about as a utility who was primarily a midfielder.
In his first pre-season he only played at 12 and did a good job. When the regular season started he moved to fullback. Dumb. -
@Bones said in Highlanders 2020:
@Duluth yeah I remember him as a young centre for Otago. I predicted big things. Little did I know just how big.
I remember the hype around him as a midfielder, clearly it was just you , so I did find it hard squaring that with the guy playing fullback at the Blues.
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@Duluth said in Highlanders 2020:
@shark said in Highlanders 2020:
Which is where he started his FC career before somehow being converted to fullback somewhere along the line. So I agree.
When he signed for the Blues he was being talked about as a utility who was primarily a midfielder.
In his first pre-season he only played at 12 and did a good job. When the regular season started he moved to fullback. Dumb.His best contributions to the blues was his play up in the line, playing like a midfielder.
His play at fullback was comically bad, my favourite being him diving into the turf, tripping over his own feet and watching the ball bounce in front of him and the other team scoring while he was still on the ground.
He was the most consistent howler generator in Super Rugby. At least one in every game.
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@KiwiMurph said in Highlanders 2020:
I remember hearing how much Tevita Li was going to carve up at the Highlanders once he got out of the Blues. Then he become a comedic target by Highlanders fans on here.
So I take it you can't back it up then?
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@Bones Tevita Li was one of the kids that was supposed to be the next coming , but from what I could see his game never found consistency or improvement to take him to another level , pace for Africa ,but prone to the most outrageous mistakes .
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@Steven-Harris when I watched him at age group i thought he was gonna be a star for the ABs...nope
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@taniwharugby said in Highlanders 2020:
@Steven-Harris when I watched him at age group i thought he was gonna be a star for the ABs...nope
He seems to get worse with experience...
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@Bones said in Highlanders 2020:
@KiwiMurph said in Highlanders 2020:
I remember hearing how much Tevita Li was going to carve up at the Highlanders once he got out of the Blues. Then he become a comedic target by Highlanders fans on here.
So I take it you can't back it up then?
My memory was that there was quite of bit of hype that Li would follow the path of Naholo and 'click' once leaving the Blues for the Highlanders given he was such a standout at U20 level and he was still young when he went to the Highlanders.
I guess my general point is that whilst the Blues are undoubtedly are an absolute basketcase of an organisation - that's not to say that some of the players in the team aren't also limited - Bryn Gatland being another example.
If James Parsons left the Blues I don't believe he would suddenly become effective at another franchise - Michael Collins is/was essentially the backs version of Parsons. Parsons being re-signed by the Blues shows they still have big time issues as an organisation.
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@taniwharugby He's a weird on as I feel like he was just bigger than everyone else at age group rugby but was too small once he reached pro rugby with the style he played with coming through. He was also shocking at staying on his feet to the point where you'd think there was a sniper in the crowd as he'd fall to the ground very quickly once getting a hand on him.
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Running away from support was Li's signature move.
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@African-Monkey said in Highlanders 2020:
@taniwharugby He's a weird on as I feel like he was just bigger than everyone else at age group rugby but was too small once he reached pro rugby with the style he played with coming through. He was also shocking at staying on his feet to the point where you'd think there was a sniper in the crowd as he'd fall to the ground very quickly once getting a hand on him.
Hah that's the hilarious thing about him eh, it's so weird. Blasts through a tackle then someone else comes up and glances in his general direction and he falls over.
@KiwiMurph agree wholeheartedly although don't recall anyone talking up Li when he was leaving the blues.
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@Bones said in Highlanders 2020:
@KiwiMurph agree wholeheartedly although don't recall anyone talking up Li when he was leaving the blues.
This. I think some people expressed the hope he would improve at the Highlanders, or wondered whether he would, but I don't remember any hype or expectation.
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@Tim which wasn't such a big deal at age group where his gas and size hid that somewhat.
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@Bones And the thing is, is that he would have been a very handy player had he been taught to stay up off the ground.
Without trying to turn this into a Blues thread or sound like I'm wanking on about Blues players, I feel that Caleb Clarke who stylistically is a lot like Tevita Li, is the far better version. He's far stronger in contact, has great leg drive and runs great lines as well as having speed to burn (so does Li to be fair).
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Ran into one of my North Harbour contacts this morning..The Highlanders are having a good look at Ethan Roots..interesting
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@KiwiMurph said in Highlanders 2020:
If James Parsons left the Blues I don't believe he would suddenly become effective at another franchise - Michael Collins is/was essentially the backs version of Parsons. Parsons being re-signed by the Blues shows they still have big time issues as an organisation.
Thing about Parsons is that it's hard to believe that he's not among the best 15 hookers in the country - he's just not among the best five.
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Not officially confirmed, but according to the Hawke's Bay Today, Folau Fakatava is contracted to the Highlanders for another two years.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503460&objectid=12271471
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Picked up some info at the CM v Hawkes Bay game this evening,CM wing Kirisi Kuridrani has signed with the Highlanders for the 2020 season
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@Steven-Harris thank goodness for that. We are really lacking for outside backs.
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@Bones he’s a good signing ,got good size and pace ,has been wasted playing for a Team that has struggled