Highlanders 2024
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2024:
Interesting way for the Highlanders to try and fix their midfield issue, if they are going after him. No midfield options out there. So, talk an All Black winger into getting his dream midfield opportunity.
Sometimes they talk themselves into it. Hi, Rieko...
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@Mr-Fish said in Highlanders 2024:
Reece has always said he wants to play in the midfield.
But it is all moot because he's not going to be playing much/any NPC.
He has and I read he was a centre but for some reason I thought early on he played 12, and given his love of turnovers and work ethic, he could be useful at 12..
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talking with some of the boys at rugby last night and one of them know Patchell, apparently he's already back in the UK, id missed he was gone for the season, I know its a job for these guys but i cant help but think i'd hang around too support the team, i guess he has a family back home
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@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2024:
talking with some of the boys at rugby last night and one of them know Patchell, apparently he's already back in the UK, id missed he was gone for the season, I know its a job for these guys but i cant help but think i'd hang around too support the team, i guess he has a family back home
Jeez, that is pretty bloody rough if that is true. You would think he would stick around another week for the finals…
The family part is probably right, could be something important to get back for so we will give him the benefit of the doubt.
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@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2024:
@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2024:
talking with some of the boys at rugby last night and one of them know Patchell, apparently he's already back in the UK, id missed he was gone for the season, I know its a job for these guys but i cant help but think i'd hang around too support the team, i guess he has a family back home
Jeez, that is pretty bloody rough if that is true. You would think he would stick around another week for the finals…
The family part is probably right, could be something important to get back for so we will give him the benefit of the doubt.
they thought he may have been gone for a few weeks already, when did we last see him?
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@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2024:
talking with some of the boys at rugby last night and one of them know Patchell, apparently he's already back in the UK, id missed he was gone for the season, I know its a job for these guys but i cant help but think i'd hang around too support the team, i guess he has a family back home
Has probably been away from his partner for nearly six months. He isn't going to play. Makes sense to leave. I'm sure he would have asked the team if it was ok. Co-captaincy next will be interesting. EDG will maintain one of the spots. Will Withy step up as a co-captain? Someone will need to lead the team in the last 20 minutes while EDG is normally off. Doesn't look like any of the backs are options. Especially as Gilbert seems to have fallen out of favour as a leader.
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@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2024:
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2024:
@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2024:
talking with some of the boys at rugby last night and one of them know Patchell, apparently he's already back in the UK, id missed he was gone for the season, I know its a job for these guys but i cant help but think i'd hang around too support the team, i guess he has a family back home
Jeez, that is pretty bloody rough if that is true. You would think he would stick around another week for the finals…
The family part is probably right, could be something important to get back for so we will give him the benefit of the doubt.
they thought he may have been gone for a few weeks already, when did we last see him?
He last played against the Force which is when he got injured, that was end of April about 5 1/2 weeks ago. Perhaps he needed surgery so has gone home for that potentially?
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@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2024:
@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2024:
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2024:
@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2024:
talking with some of the boys at rugby last night and one of them know Patchell, apparently he's already back in the UK, id missed he was gone for the season, I know its a job for these guys but i cant help but think i'd hang around too support the team, i guess he has a family back home
Jeez, that is pretty bloody rough if that is true. You would think he would stick around another week for the finals…
The family part is probably right, could be something important to get back for so we will give him the benefit of the doubt.
they thought he may have been gone for a few weeks already, when did we last see him?
He last played against the Force which is when he got injured, that was about 5 1/2 weeks ago. Perhaps he needed surgery so has gone home for that potentially?
Yeah that is what I'd be thinking. Go home for the surgery. He also spent the majority of the month before playing for Kaik.
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2024:
@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2024:
talking with some of the boys at rugby last night and one of them know Patchell, apparently he's already back in the UK, id missed he was gone for the season, I know its a job for these guys but i cant help but think i'd hang around too support the team, i guess he has a family back home
Has probably been away from his partner for nearly six months. He isn't going to play. Makes sense to leave. I'm sure he would have asked the team if it was ok. Co-captaincy next will be interesting. EDG will maintain one of the spots. Will Withy step up as a co-captain? Someone will need to lead the team in the last 20 minutes while EDG is normally off. Doesn't look like any of the backs are options. Especially as Gilbert seems to have fallen out of favour as a leader.
yeah, not suggesting he left without permission and i acknowledged he might have family or surgery....just personally i didn't realise his season was done, thought we might have got him back...and if i had planned around being in NZ till july i might have hang around to support the team i'd been working with for 6 months
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@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2024:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2024:
@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2024:
talking with some of the boys at rugby last night and one of them know Patchell, apparently he's already back in the UK, id missed he was gone for the season, I know its a job for these guys but i cant help but think i'd hang around too support the team, i guess he has a family back home
Has probably been away from his partner for nearly six months. He isn't going to play. Makes sense to leave. I'm sure he would have asked the team if it was ok. Co-captaincy next will be interesting. EDG will maintain one of the spots. Will Withy step up as a co-captain? Someone will need to lead the team in the last 20 minutes while EDG is normally off. Doesn't look like any of the backs are options. Especially as Gilbert seems to have fallen out of favour as a leader.
yeah, not suggesting he left without permission and i acknowledged he might have family or surgery....just personally i didn't realise his season was done, thought we might have got him back...and if i had planned around being in NZ till july i might have hang around to support the team i'd been working with for 6 months
Yeah it’s an odd one, you’re contracted for a full season…
If in a dream world we make a finals run, his experience and guidance for the young 10s, or more or less the whole backline would be incredibly valuable. That’s what makes me think he’s gone back for surgery, get a head start so he’s ready for wherever his next stint is and in goodwill the Highlanders have granted him that. If so, Good for him.
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@Landers92 might have been less surprised if id realised he was done for the season
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An ODT article from the time said he had avoided surgery, and it was a 6 - 8 week recovery. If I was in a foreign country with a long-term injury, no real ability to train or play. I'd probably bugger off home too. As mentioned, while he played the Force game, he had spent a fair bit of time playing club footy previous to that.
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to each their own, i think 6 months with the squad would make them pretty tight knit (especially if you didnt have distractions of normal life back home) and id hang around to back in the boys
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@Kiwiwomble in Dunedin, in the middle of winter.
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as i say...all fair, i just hadn't realised his season was done
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At this stage, who has potentially played their last game for the team? Parkinson, CGB, Patchell (of course haha) and Bogado. Bogado was a bit of a failed experiment. Roll th3 clock back three or four years ago and there was plenty of hype around Parkinson and CGB. It is always interesting when players arrive and there is a bit of excitement and come their departure, they just drift away.
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@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2024:
talking with some of the boys at rugby last night and one of them know Patchell, apparently he's already back in the UK, id missed he was gone for the season, I know its a job for these guys but i cant help but think i'd hang around too support the team, i guess he has a family back home
Yep, left 2-3 weeks ago, all the Landers boys were wishing him well when we played the Blues. I have no issue with it, has a partner at home, can't blame him.
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2024:
@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2024:
talking with some of the boys at rugby last night and one of them know Patchell, apparently he's already back in the UK, id missed he was gone for the season, I know its a job for these guys but i cant help but think i'd hang around too support the team, i guess he has a family back home
Co-captaincy next will be interesting. EDG will maintain one of the spots. Will Withy step up as a co-captain? Someone will need to lead the team in the last 20 minutes while EDG is normally off. Doesn't look like any of the backs are options. Especially as Gilbert seems to have fallen out of favour as a leader.
I'd imagine de Groot will just be skipper... this co-captaincy thing is a smoke-screen. Grooter was 100% calling the shots (literally) v the Drua... Harmon a calming influence, but they've done the changing of the guard.
Withy will be VC I would imagine, maybe with Gilbert. Main reason Gilbert fell out of favour as I understand it was more because he was no longer assured of his place in the team, and Grooter has really stepped up as the season has gone on.
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@frugby yeah...dont know how many times i have to say i dont really have a problem either, lots of good reasons, i had just missed he was done was so a surprise and i guess it seems a little anticlimactic, and then on an almost separate note, if i was in the position i think i might have hung around (Me, not him) and seen it through, end of season celebration, bookend his adventure
