Highlanders 2024
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@ruggabee said in Highlanders 2024:
at the Hurricanes midfielders Peter Umaga-Jenson, Bailyn Sullivan, Ngane Punivai are taking turns playing for the Hunters development team, why don't they come on down to the Southern city next season?
Sullivan has literally just returned form injury. Moorby is leaving at the end of the year so the Canes will want Sullivan to fill that 14 jersey in 2025. Umaga-Jensen I agree with as I've already said he should have gone south, don't think Punivai will return. I reckon the next step for him would be overseas.
If I were the Highlanders and knowing Ardie Savea's coming back to the Canes next season, they should throw a contract offer to Brayden Iose or Devan Flanders with the likelihood that one of them may not see many mins next season even though they've been playing the house down this year. As a Canes fan I hope they keep them both but players will look to move if they don't get an opportunity.
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@Canes4life Iose can take over from Withy at 13.
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Soul-searching for Highlanders who know they can be better
The attitude is positive, the mood is confident, the players are buoyant and the coaches are focused. Now the Highlanders just need to prove they...
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2024:
@Bones said in Highlanders 2024:
@Kiwiwomble maybe Withy at 13 then.
Chuck him on the wing. Nareki needs to bs shown how a real winger goes
Pretty sad what has happened to Nareki. He has never shaken off those back-to-back leg injuries. Him taking the ball into contact as opposed to the chip kick, is hopefully a step back so he can go forward.
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@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2024:
Jonah Lowe returning and Tele’a flying over. Never like to see injury but perhaps are defense may now improve 😅.
It has to be a win this week or a feel players could switch off and the season could get ugly.
I don't think the season turns ugly. Having the Force and Drua at home + Moana Pasifika (even in Tonga) should mean we do enough to sneak into 8th because of BPs... (depends if you term that ugly I suppose!)
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really? the drua and MP are both above us, you have more faith than i do we can great results against them
i really regret going on the weekend as we looked so out of ideas/lackluster, watching players movement off the ball (which is harder to see on tV) it felt like there was little cohesion
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@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2024:
i really regret going on the weekend
Seems a bit harsh. Sucks to see your team lose but a good stadium to watch rugby and Rebels played some great footy
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You only need to be worried about playing the Drua away. Also the Force can't defend for shit, so as long as you can hold the ball, you'll win.
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@antipodean said in Highlanders 2024:
You only need to be worried about playing the Drua away. Also the Force can't defend for shit, so as long as you can hold the ball, you'll win.
.......exactly
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@KiwiMurph said in Highlanders 2024:
@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2024:
i really regret going on the weekend
Seems a bit harsh. Sucks to see your team lose but a good stadium to watch rugby and Rebels played some great footy
im sure it would have been different if id gone with other highlanders fans, shared misery and all
maybe i need to go back and watch the highlights
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I'm looking forward to our cripple fight with the Crusaders in a few weeks.
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@SouthernMann The most highlanders thing ever would be to make them look like prime Crusaders again and get thumped
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@Landers92 next 3 weeks are key in restoring some pride... Holland, Dunshea, Renton should improve the pack, Bogado deserves a go in place of nareki.
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Tough supporting us right now, but I do actually think long-term I still feel the most confident I've felt in this team since 2017.
Front row might well be a problem, but I've seen enough from Bell and Taylor to say if nothing else they'll be two tidy options for the next 4+ years. Still got de Groot, and I think Ma'u is fine. Jury very much out on Wingham, who I think is surely a loosehead long-term if he is going to play at this level.
Outside of that though, Holland and Dunshea is a good lock pairing and in recent weeks, we've seen Haig and Stodart both look quite tidy. Add them to Withy (Who I thought looked much better playing as an openside) and Harmon, and think we're onto a bit of a winner. Makings of a good pack, that I reckon. Need to find some more depth, but a pack of:
- de Groot
- Bell
- ADD
- Holland
- Dunshea
- Haig
- Withy
- Harmon
Bench
16. Taylor
17. ADD
18. Ma'u
19. Plummer
20. StodartActually is something to work with, particularly with some new coaches. I think at the very least, Donnelly will get the chop regardless of what happens with Dermody and Dillon.
If you can get the pack going well, I imagine the backline fixes up. Fakatava has been going well, Faleafaga has shown potential, Tele'a has probably been our best signing so far and we've got some good outside backs. We aren't getting the best out of them at the moment, but these are good players, who will come right in a better set-up.
I've no idea what will happen for the rest of this season, I suspect confidence from the coaches is so low and it is seeping into the players, but the long-term prospects are actually quite good. It will be interesting to see what the coaches cook up, think at this point they just need to play a positive brand of rugby. Less kicking, more running, get players in motion with the ball. Basic shit.
Hopefully they can just take a step back, and refresh things. They'll probably go back to Patchell, and all things considered they probably should. If the coaches have been guilty of one thing in recent weeks, it has been knee-jerk reactions rather than trusting the process. Patchell was the talk of the town after three games, and though his form dipped a little, and I, a fan, was calling for him to be left out, you'd probably expect the coaches to have better foresight.
I'd be keen to see Te Hiwi get a run at 12, because Gilbert is all out of sorts, and likewise, Bogado is an international for heavens sake. I don't really get why he hasn't been given more of a chance. On top of that, should get Holland and Dunshea in which will make a big difference to the scrum and around the park.
The season doesn't magically turn around from here, but I'm confident if nothing else we should see some good shoots for the future... because we couldn't possibly get worse.
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@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2024:
@Grooter absolutely. Can’t wait to see Renton and Dunshea out there that’s for sure. Adding Holland and those 3 will change the grunt in the forward park big time which is much needed
I know Renton carries twice as good as any other forward but marking him down as two players might be a bit much
