Highlanders 2023
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@Stargazer yeah, sorry, meant knew nothing about him before reading the article
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@Stargazer said in Highlanders 2023:
Highlanders Appoint Attack Coach | Highlanders Rugby Club Limited Partnership
Englishman Richard Whiffin has been handed the attack portfolio for the Highlanders in 2023.
Man reading about things like this I prepared to get excited at the thought of Super starting, well I will get excited AFTER the NPC of course!
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@Dan54 already "after the NPC" for some of us
as i get older i get more excited about good coaches coming on board, flashy players have more often failed for us over the years, our best players have often been those getting a second shot to prove themselves of locals building on combinations....both more reliant on good coaches
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@Stargazer said in Highlanders 2023:
Highlanders Appoint Attack Coach | Highlanders Rugby Club Limited Partnership
Englishman Richard Whiffin has been handed the attack portfolio for the Highlanders in 2023.
That's not Nick Evans... even Mark Ozich would've far better choice.
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@cgrant said in Highlanders 2023:
@SouthernMann
I rate Max Hicks a lot. But with all these locks, I could see him moved to the blindside. A combo with him plus MMT and Harmon could be interesting.Still have Frizzell around the team at the moment. So he is a lock for the six gig. Hicks shpuld get some opportunities.
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@SouthernMann
He could wear the 6 jersey when Frizell is not available. -
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@Bones said in Highlanders 2023:
Looking more and more at our squad, it's pretty handy eh. All we need is for a young 10 to absolutely smash it out of the park.
It's our year!
Who would be your no1 Landers side?
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@Canes4life said in Highlanders 2023:
@Bones said in Highlanders 2023:
Looking more and more at our squad, it's pretty handy eh. All we need is for a young 10 to absolutely smash it out of the park.
It's our year!
Who would be your no1 Landers side?
Otoh something like
EdG
Pass
Ainsley
MSR
Dickson
Frizzel
Harmon
MMT
Smith
Gilbert
Nareki
TUG
Gregory
CGB
Hunt -
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@Bones said in Highlanders 2023:
@Canes4life said in Highlanders 2023:
@Bones said in Highlanders 2023:
Looking more and more at our squad, it's pretty handy eh. All we need is for a young 10 to absolutely smash it out of the park.
It's our year!
Who would be your no1 Landers side?
Otoh something like
EdG
Pass
Ainsley
MSR
Dickson
Frizzel
Harmon
MMT
Smith
Gilbert
Nareki
TUG
Gregory
CGB
HuntIs Bell too young to be the starting hooker? Plenty of options out there including the likes of Keruru-Symes aswell.
Surely there are better fullbacks than Hunt running around that the Landers can sign?
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@Tim said in Highlanders 2023:
@Bones Forwards should be an improvement, but that backline doesn't look threatening. Hope Thomas Umaga-Jensen stays fit.
Outside the front row, the bench is bloody handy too. Especially if one of the young tens steps up and Gilbert can go to fullback. I'd be inclined to throw Miller into the deep end from what little I've seen of him.
Bench with Parkinson/Hicks, Lentjes, Fakatava, Hunt has some depth.
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@Canes4life he's a good fullback, especially if he spends the off-season working on kicking better than a ten year old.
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@Bones he's solid for sure but I would potentially swap him and Gilbert around. There seems to be a trend across most franchises that there is a need to recruit outside backs. It will be interesting to see who lands where.
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@Canes4life said in Highlanders 2023:
@Bones he's solid for sure but I would potentially swap him and Gilbert around. There seems to be a trend across most franchises that there is a need to recruit outside backs. It will be interesting to see who lands where.
I don't want Hunt getting in the way. He's like a lowlight reel of Mounga/Dmac when he's at ten.
Heck I'd throw Smith or Fakatava there first.
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I really like the optimism. Sadly, there isn't the cattle to back it up. I still think how many of our players would start for other franchises. I can only think of seven; EDG, two of our locks, Frizzell, both halfbacks and TUG (if at his best and fit). Lowe and Nareki can be quality wingers. But are they any better than what others have? Probably not. We are in a world of pain if the tractor Gregory is going to be our centre. Timu is a scrapper, not a world beater. At the moment he is our first choice centre. We don't have a 10. Rumour is Leni Apisai has already been signed as a third hooker. That rules out the stand out performer in Henry Bell. Our 2021 first string fullback can't even start for Wellington. Then we.have Mitch Hunt who hasn't even stripped during the NPC due to lingering concussion issues. We will be scrapping for the 7/8 spots in the quarter finals.
