Highlanders 2022
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@southernmann said in Highlanders 2022:
@kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2022:
@chris said in Highlanders 2022:
@kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2022:
@southernmann possibly poor choice of words
i didnt so much mean we may not need a body, more a case of seeing as he played a minimal role this year we may not need to replace one "experienced" campaigner (read lamborn) with another
there is plenty of experience between Evans, Frizzell, Renton, MMT, Harmon and Lentjes so the eighth spot might go to someone younger, maybe Sam fischli?
Highlanders are going to pick 8 LF's in a 38 man squad ? that's a lot.
Most squads carry 7,some carried 6 with a couple of lock/LF selections.technically we had nine this year, we've always rolled with a lot of loosies, remember we often rolled with a 6/2 split on the bench
Some like Misiloi barely got a game. There was certainly a core group that played the majority of the rugby.
It is my understanding the Freedom isn't signed yet. But, we two outside back spots available you'd hope he would get one.
Is there still interest in Naholo ?.
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@chris said in Highlanders 2022:
@kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2022:
@chris said in Highlanders 2022:
@kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2022:
@southernmann possibly poor choice of words
i didnt so much mean we may not need a body, more a case of seeing as he played a minimal role this year we may not need to replace one "experienced" campaigner (read lamborn) with another
there is plenty of experience between Evans, Frizzell, Renton, MMT, Harmon and Lentjes so the eighth spot might go to someone younger, maybe Sam fischli?
Highlanders are going to pick 8 LF's in a 38 man squad ? that's a lot.
Most squads carry 7,some carried 6 with a couple of lock/LF selections.technically we had nine this year, we've always rolled with a lot of loosies, remember we often rolled with a 6/2 split on the bench
Were any replacements for injuries like Squire ?,Last season
i think squire was the...not injury cover...but a gamble, so more of the extra person
i just mean eights not loads if your naming 5 every week and have to allow for a bigger comp and a couple f injuries (or frizell going to jail.....)
@southernmann said in Highlanders 2022:
@kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2022:
@chris said in Highlanders 2022:
@kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2022:
@southernmann possibly poor choice of words
i didnt so much mean we may not need a body, more a case of seeing as he played a minimal role this year we may not need to replace one "experienced" campaigner (read lamborn) with another
there is plenty of experience between Evans, Frizzell, Renton, MMT, Harmon and Lentjes so the eighth spot might go to someone younger, maybe Sam fischli?
Highlanders are going to pick 8 LF's in a 38 man squad ? that's a lot.
Most squads carry 7,some carried 6 with a couple of lock/LF selections.technically we had nine this year, we've always rolled with a lot of loosies, remember we often rolled with a 6/2 split on the bench
Some like Misiloi barely got a game. There was certainly a core group that played the majority of the rugby.
It is my understanding the Freedom isn't signed yet. But, we two outside back spots available you'd hope he would get one.
yeah, but thats because the first choice did well with injuries
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@chris i believe so
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Hooker is an interesting one.
Looks like we may have lucked out a bit and might be going back to the future again with Greg Pleasnte-tate. Would really be running with three very average hookers and be quite jealous of the depth at other franchises.
I wouldn't think we would be looking for a 4th lock. I thought all the guys from last year are coming back.
If we sign Naholo, I'd hope it would only be as an injury replacement for Nareki. Give Freedom the full contract.\
In terms of the loosies and the likes of Misiloi not getting gametime. It was also because he was rubbish and should never have got a contract, let along a two year gig.
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@southernmann i think Ricky Jackson has really stepped up fr otago this year, it always going to be a step down from Dixon but jackson has a better throw than Coltman and get around the pitch
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@southernmann said in Highlanders 2022:
Hooker is an interesting one.
Looks like we may have lucked out a bit and might be going back to the future again with Greg Pleasnte-tate. Would really be running with three very average hookers and be quite jealous of the depth at other franchises.
Nathan Harris could be available.
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@bovidae said in Highlanders 2022:
@southernmann said in Highlanders 2022:
Hooker is an interesting one.
Looks like we may have lucked out a bit and might be going back to the future again with Greg Pleasnte-tate. Would really be running with three very average hookers and be quite jealous of the depth at other franchises.
Nathan Harris could be available.
Was just going to mention Nathan Harris if he’s been cut from the Chiefs for Thomson.
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I hope Kianu Kereru-Symes will return from injury soon. He'll be Dixon's replacement for the Magpies and has been good in previous seasons and as NZ U20s captain. I rate him higher (in potential) than Jackson and he has been in the Highlanders environment before as injury cover. Just needs consistent game time now and - if healthy - will get it if Dixon has to leave for Japan before the NPC is over.
I doubt the Canes will sign him. They'll probably sign the white line snorter as their 3rd hooker.
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@stargazer can't push your case when you're injured. Seems to be a consistent trend with Hawkes Bay players at that stage of their careers.
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@canes4life Quite a statement. Do you have any other examples of Hawke's Bay players who weren't signed by the Canes because they couldn't "push their case" due to injury (during NPC)? McClutchie isn't one of them; Fakatava wasn't. Mikaele-Tu'u wasn't. Makene wasn't. Falcon wasn't.
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Just probably Hugh Renton and he was signed by the Canes.
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@southernmann That's why Renton is not a good example. He was signed. So were Cridge and Lowe. They all got injured while at the Canes, and then didn't get opportunities when they were fit again.
Edit:
Anyway, Kereru-Symes has already several seasons of NPC under his belt. He has already had two years with the Canes on a development contract; just unlucky there was such a queue at the time. Now the queue, or at the least the quality in the queue, is gone. But he has also been with the Highlanders for a short while. And the Blues. He was rated by the other players while there. -
@stargazer said in Highlanders 2022:
@canes4life Quite a statement. Do you have any other examples of Hawke's Bay players who weren't signed by the Canes because they couldn't "push their case" due to injury (during NPC)? McClutchie isn't one of them; Fakatava wasn't. Mikaele-Tu'u wasn't. Makene wasn't. Falcon wasn't.
Neither was Israel Dagg
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Kereru-Symes on the bench tomorrow
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@kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2022:
you would think it must be pretty serious, who are going to bring in to alternate with Lentjes
Too soon for Withy so maybe shoulder tap Lamborn.
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@bovidae thats what i was wondering about Withy..seeing as Lentjes had a huge injury only last season
lamborn seems to be everyones answer to everything, i was wondering about slade mcdowell, hes been in the environment before, only 23
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They have Evans, right?
So they have two old heads - I’d go with a young’un if it were me.
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I thought the complaint against speights hadn’t been upheld…but here we are anyway, doesn’t look bad at least
edt: i went back and looked at the statement when we announced Speights and they talk about a new four year deal
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@kiwiwomble Speights logo relegated to the collar. I find the whole thing funny tbh. I do think advertisement of alcohol is a little glorified and having a large Speights logo on your clothes doing a charity or kids event is kinda weird. But holy shit the Facebook comments are hilarious, people losing their shit over a printed logo on a rugby jersey, Speights isn't even brewed in Dunedin anymore. SBS is at least a southern company.
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@yeetyaah yeah, some people embarrassing themselves, Speights may have started in Dunedin but long ago was bought out and most speights isn't even brewed in dunedin anymore
for me i think it depends on the actual logo design, doesn't actually say what it is so i think mostly it was a if you know you know kind of deal, and they didn;t have it on the kids jersey or anything, so i thought it was fine....BUT, im definitely not going to kick off about it and if i was going to kick of it would be if the new sponser was a shit design...like a green box or something, which its not so all good
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@kiwiwomble I'd say it's happened multiple times by every team but this has actually been announced for the first time? Idk there's some confused people in the comments who didn't read the article.
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@kiwiwomble who knew..?🤷🏻♂️
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@steven-harris yeah, i guess i vaguely remember when there was the regig to "private" ownership they were for like 5 years or something...but thought it might have been news beforehand if it was anything other than a forgone conclusion
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Some background.
This is from the NZR website:
Expressions of interest for Super Rugby Licences
Expressions of interest were called for in December 2011 for four of the five licences. The Highlanders were not part of the original process, although NZR commenced the process for the Highlanders in 2014.More about this: https://super.rugby/superrugby/news/nz-franchises-to-be-licensed-from-2013/
From an article in the NZH:
The license has been awarded for a period of three years with a right of renewal for five more years.
From earlier this year:
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@stargazer said in Highlanders 2022:
@macmanus Back just in time from injury, with Dixon now ruled out.
Jacob Devery is the current starting hooker for the Magpies. Why not him for the Landers ?
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@cgrant said in Highlanders 2022:
@stargazer said in Highlanders 2022:
@macmanus Back just in time from injury, with Dixon now ruled out.
Jacob Devery is the current starting hooker for the Magpies. Why not him for the Landers ?
He has been very good since he has had some starts for HB,and off the bench.I reckon he would not look out of place in SR.
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@cgrant Personally, I think Kereru-Symes is better and stronger, but he's been very unfortunate with his injury and hasn't seen much game time, yet. So late in the season, I doubt there will be a change in who starts and who's wearing 16 for the Magpies (despite Kereru-Symes starting this week). Both are formed in the Dixon mould! Devery definitely has shown lots of improvement and getting consistent game time has been really good for him. I'd love to see him given a chance at SR.
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I don't hate the signing of Makalio, I just feel that there were better options out there.
He will do a good job for a season or two.
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Highlanders media release:
There's a re-signing hidden in that media release (and the stuff article) that people may have missed:
Gareth Evans will join his brother Bryn at the Dunedin based club after last playing for the Highlanders in 2017.
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@stargazer im happy with that
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One more year with Bryn and then Fabian Holland comes into the full squad. I'm sure he will be around the team all year anyway.
There's a lot of upside to that kid!
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