Otago 2023
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another week without seeing Ajay would be concerning
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From what I saw running around at training today
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Rohan Wingham
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Henry Bell
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Jermaine Ainsley
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Fabian Holland
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Will Tucker
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Josh Dickson
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Sean Withy
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Christian Lio-Willie
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James Arscott
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Ajay Faleafaga
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Jona Nareki
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Jack Leslie
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Thomas Umaga-Jensen
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Josh Whaanga
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Finn Hurley
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Ricky Jackson
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Abraham Pole
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Saula Ma'u
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Josh Hill
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Sam Fischli
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Nathan Hastie
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Jake Te Hiwi
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Maybe John Tapueluelu from what I saw or Jeremiah Asi
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After the way he played on the weekend I'd be disappointed if Asi didn't get another go. Thought he was outstanding.
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I was pretty close. Take out Te Hiwi and both Asi and Tapueluelu who are both wings which is a bit concerning. Then Tucker out and Sanders into 6
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Some improvements again yesterday, the forward pack went well for the second week running - which is to be expected with their quality, but it wasn't happening those first couple of games.
Halfbacks looked good, how McClea was rated above Hastie I'll never know. I suppose you'd just about go unchanged for the next game because of injuries, but once again I am really not seeing it with Hurley.
Felt he kicked away a lot of good possession yesterday, and that drop-kicking was just a nonsense. Dermody was a row in front of me with Dillon, and I think I heard him mutter WTF are you doing lol.
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Our season is basically dead. Donnelly not the man as head coach I'm afraid.
Thought Hurley took some better options for the most part in the last game, but overall there will still too many of those dumb dinky kicks when on attack. We were stuffing BOP in the forwards when we had the ball, but couldn't make the most of it.
Taking Nareki off with 7 to go was ludicrous.
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In the NZR review thread, I was discussing the idea of an amateur NPC model, where teams would play more of a World Cup style format, and teams would thereby be made up almost entirely of players playing for their home province... you'd have to see some rules on it, obviously, but thought it would be interesting to look at an Otago side made up of guys only from Otago, (with no All Blacks, not that this affects us):
Props:
Abraham Pole
Rohan Wingham
Jermaine Ainsley
Jackson DempsterHookers:
George Bell
Henry Bell
Ricky JacksonLocks:
Josh Dickson
Josh Hill
?Loose Forwards:
Oli Haig
Sam Fischli
Slade McDowell
Semisi Tupou Ta'eiloa
?Halfbacks:
James Arscott
Nathan Hastie
Bob MartinFirst Fives:
Cam MillarMidfielders:
Jake Te Hiwi
Josh Timu
Matt Whaanga
Josh Whaanga
Jack LeslieOutside Backs:
Finn Hurley
Michael Manson
?We really do need the imports
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Both Hurley and Millar are Southlanders.
I don't think it is realistic to have players be tagged to their province of origin. While we want our best guys to stick around people will always move.
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@SouthernMann Haha true, yes I forgot they are both from Southland... just shows city boys are big softies down south.
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Our greatest Otago players for the last 25 years, bugger all are from Otago.
Sadly the best ever player from Otago is a Canterbury and Crusaders legend.
Dunedin as a city doesn't produce that many top quality sports people.
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@SouthernMann after richie the list is short, Ben Smith...
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@Kiwiwomble said in Otago 2023:
@SouthernMann after richie the list is short, Ben Smith...
Cricketers it is Brendon McCullum, Hamish Rutherford and Michael Bracewell.
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@SouthernMann Oh come on does Glenn Turner not count?
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@African-Monkey said in Otago 2023:
Oh come on does Glenn Turner not count?
Did not make his debut in the last 25 years. Only those three did I think.
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@SouthernMann Fair enough, will teach me to read the whole thread instead of bits of it haha.
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Another game of frustration. Barring a miracle, that's finals footy gone already, and to me with some of the players we have got, that is unacceptable. Donnelly should be given the boot at the end of the season, but not sure it will happen... there were some things to take away from that game though:
- Great batch of young props, @SouthernMann has talked him up, Wingham looks the business and will be a Lander in 2025 you'd think. Ma'u has looked superb with the increased game time, and seems to be putting his size to full effect, and is fulfilling the potential we know he has. Expect him to potentially push past Ainsley for the Landers
- Both Bell and Jackson are tidy options at this level, think Bell takes better options around the feed, and was dynamic when he came on
- Great set of locks... Fabian Holland, what a footballer. All Black in waiting
- Loosies all did well, but how about that for a debut from Will Stodart? They said he went off injured at the end which was a shame, hopefully not too bad. Surely a Lander in waiting be it 25' or 26'. Lio-Willie's replacement right there
- Both halfbacks are tidy, like the look of Hastie, particularly with his good left boot. Probably could work at being a little quicker round the field, but think it is more of an angles thing which will come with playing more games
- Faleafaga with another solid game... gut feel is that he is going to more of a 12 than a 10. I'm yet to see a kicking game which convinces me he could play 10 at SR level. Don't think he controls the game as well as Millar either.
- Leslie solid, best I have seen from Te Hiwi. Definitely better balanced than TUJ and Te Hiwi. Playmaker at 12, hard runner at 13 looks the way to me
- I say it every time, and actually thought he was better vs. BOP, but Hurley isn't the man - not even for Otago. Does he have flashes of brilliance? Of course, but lacks the big boot, and has yet to break a game open, and does those stupid dinky kicks which give away possession every time.
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@pakman I was going to suggest this, but think it is a case of one step at a time. To me, he looks like another Ethan de Groot, just playing on the other side of the scrum.
A tight five of de Groot, Whichever hooker, Ma'u, Holland and Parkinson has some serious size to it. Probably means the Highlanders can be a little more mobile in the loose, with something like Haig, Harmon and Broughton.
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@frugby said in Otago 2023:
Barring a miracle, that's finals footy gone already
It's unlikely but remember this dumb competition has QF's. 8 out of 14 teams play finals footy
Otago with 1 win from 6 games is still only 4 points off of 8th place
Remaining games:
v Northland (Dunedin)
v Taranaki (Dunedin)
v Waikato (Hamilton)
v Counties (Dunedin)Win all four and Otago would surely be top 8
Win three and it will be close -
@Duluth said in Otago 2023:
@frugby said in Otago 2023:
Barring a miracle, that's finals footy gone already
It's unlikely but remember this dumb competition has QF's. 8 out of 14 teams play finals footy
Otago with 1 win from 6 games is still only 4 points off of 8th place
Remaining games:
v Northland (Dunedin)
v Taranaki (Dunedin)
v Waikato (Hamilton)
v Counties (Dunedin)Win all four and Otago would surely be top 8
Win three and it will be closeYou could be right, but we missed out with five wins last year, and we haven't picked up many bonus points.
I've seen nothing though, that convinces me we can win four in a row.
