Highlanders 2025
-
@Bones said in Highlanders 2025:
@Crazy-Horse said in Highlanders 2025:
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
@Crazy-Horse said in Highlanders 2025:
I keep reading about how good Haig is, from age grade through to the Highlanders, so I am looking forward to him stringing some games together so I can see for myself. Maybe I have watched the wrong games, but so far in the games above age grade that I have seen him play I haven't been overly wowed by him. Hoping I am wrong and he does turn out to be a good one.
Was immense all season last year for the Highlanders which earned him a spot in the AB XV, no one predicted that at the start of the season. His form carried over to Otago too.
A shame his pre season was ruined by a freak injury, could take him awhile to find his feet again but getting him back at the business end of the season could be huge, especially when you consider the lock/6 situation at the moment. 23 and still coming into his own, massive potential.
Not saying you are wrong, and really hope you are right because I want NZ to be littered with good players, but I have yet to notice him being 'immense' at Super level. Hopefully he gets on the paddock consistently because I do remember him looking good for a NZ age grade team a few years ago. The same team that had Bell and Hotham IIRC.
Yeah, pretty surprised myself at how immense he was when I don't even remember him playing.
He was noticed by the ABs and ABs XV coaching staff over quite a few other flashier players. So I think the right people are remembering. He was one of the bright spots last season in a team full of players not pulling their own weight
-
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2025:
@frugby @SouthernMann i think its a little easier than if Hurly had had an amazing game last week, his niggle means its a little easier IMO to reset and look at them both abjectly and yeah JRK probably gets the nod is 15....but i would rather see him at 14 than Gilbert for example
JRK is still three weeks away, give or take. Will be go back in through club rugby. Does he come back in via the bench. Have to consider the form a specific player, who has been on the field, in this case Hurley.
There is always going to be a conversation around how to get the best available players on the field. When it suits to bring them on.
Hurley is five games into his career. JRK has played about 30.
Let's say they are both fit. We look to continue our approach, around best five - six players 12 - 15.
They'd be
Tavatavanawai
Tangitau
Tele'a
Hurley
JRK (rating there, due to having not played)
TUJ
Then work out who goes where. Who can also provide the best impact.Have to admit you were right about Hurley. I was sceptical but he seems to have matured significantly. His last part of the NPC season and this season he seems a much better player. I imagine being a big part in GI winning the prem would have also built some confidence
-
@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders 2025:
He was noticed by the ABs and ABs XV coaching staff over quite a few other flashier players
Chay Fihaki?
-
@Bones said in Highlanders 2025:
@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders 2025:
He was noticed by the ABs and ABs XV coaching staff over quite a few other flashier players
Chay Fihaki?
Apples and oranges
-
@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders 2025:
@Bones said in Highlanders 2025:
@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders 2025:
He was noticed by the ABs and ABs XV coaching staff over quite a few other flashier players
Chay Fihaki?
Apples and oranges
Or another way: Cantabs and non-Cantabs.
I've always been really impressed by Haig. He is a player who does everything right. As well as having all the physical attributes to be a high quality player.
He calls the lineouts
Very effective lineout option
Manages the rucks defensively
Is good for yards
Works short balls well
Is defensively very sound
He is a very technically sound player -
@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders 2025:
@Bones said in Highlanders 2025:
@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders 2025:
He was noticed by the ABs and ABs XV coaching staff over quite a few other flashier players
Chay Fihaki?
Apples and oranges
Racist bigot.
-
@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders 2025:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2025:
@frugby @SouthernMann i think its a little easier than if Hurly had had an amazing game last week, his niggle means its a little easier IMO to reset and look at them both abjectly and yeah JRK probably gets the nod is 15....but i would rather see him at 14 than Gilbert for example
JRK is still three weeks away, give or take. Will be go back in through club rugby. Does he come back in via the bench. Have to consider the form a specific player, who has been on the field, in this case Hurley.
There is always going to be a conversation around how to get the best available players on the field. When it suits to bring them on.
Hurley is five games into his career. JRK has played about 30.
Let's say they are both fit. We look to continue our approach, around best five - six players 12 - 15.
They'd be
Tavatavanawai
Tangitau
Tele'a
Hurley
JRK (rating there, due to having not played)
TUJ
Then work out who goes where. Who can also provide the best impact.Have to admit you were right about Hurley. I was sceptical but he seems to have matured significantly. His last part of the NPC season and this season he seems a much better player. I imagine being a big part in GI winning the prem would have also built some confidence
The big thing for me with Hurley is it wasn't his defence that let him down. He always stood up well. It was just taking dumb options. Doing one good thing, and then two bad things. A lot of which happened in the 23 NPC. The number of bad things have really reduced.
He will still have plenty of mistakes in him. He just will make up for them with some amazing touches. There are very few players who can make the atracking plays that he can. He is a box office player.
I look at him v a guy like Cam Millar. Who is very popular and had a great skillset. Had far more supporters than Hurley. Hurley is far more likely to win a game out of the two, he is also far more likely to make a clanger and lose a game. Before anyone says, I know they play different positions. It is just an exercise of fan opinion comparing a safe player to an high-risk player. Hurley is the guy we need on the paddock.
-
@Bones said in Highlanders 2025:
@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders 2025:
@Bones said in Highlanders 2025:
@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders 2025:
He was noticed by the ABs and ABs XV coaching staff over quite a few other flashier players
Chay Fihaki?
Apples and oranges
Racist bigot.
I may not be aware of everything but is this a serious comment?
-
@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders 2025:
@Bones said in Highlanders 2025:
@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders 2025:
@Bones said in Highlanders 2025:
@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders 2025:
He was noticed by the ABs and ABs XV coaching staff over quite a few other flashier players
Chay Fihaki?
Apples and oranges
Racist bigot.
I may not be aware of everything but is this a serious comment?
Depends on which one you think is the apple and which is the orange.
-
@Bones said in Highlanders 2025:
@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders 2025:
@Bones said in Highlanders 2025:
@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders 2025:
@Bones said in Highlanders 2025:
@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders 2025:
He was noticed by the ABs and ABs XV coaching staff over quite a few other flashier players
Chay Fihaki?
Apples and oranges
Racist bigot.
I may not be aware of everything but is this a serious comment?
Depends on which one you think is the apple and which is the orange.
Haig is definitely the orange
-
Think last night was a hugeeee reality check.
Likes of Hastie, Hurley & Ma’u showed their limitations. There is a making of a good squad here, and I think we’ll probably rise again… but the playoff is a bridge too far, unless JRK goes turbo, and we manage to speed up our game. We’re playing way too direct for a team made up of midgets
-
@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
Think last night was a hugeeee reality check.
Likes of Hastie, Hurley & Ma’u showed their limitations. There is a making of a good squad here, and I think we’ll probably rise again… but the playoff is a bridge too far, unless JRK goes turbo, and we manage to speed up our game. We’re playing way too direct for a team made up of midgets
That is a very simple way of looking at it.
We played a side that has 10 or 12 internationally capped players. We had several guys in our team with fewer than 10 Super Rugby games.
The much maligned Hurley. He made mistakes you'd expect of a guy who has played six games at this level. His limitations aren't catching or kicking. He had a couple of clangers with dropping a ball cold and kicking out on the full. Defensively he did some good things. He is still one of the most exciting attacking players in the comp.
Hastie did some good, some bad. He was out played a bit by Thomas. He still made a quality break.
Ma'u is a massive concern. While our backs were a bit aimless at time. His scrummaging lost us the game. Was a cruel twist when he had to come pretty much straight back on.
Luck going our way we could have had either one of Tangitau's no tries.
It is easy to be negative. Especially when we played poorly in the second half.
I don't think Jim is a winger anymore. TUJ had some nice touches. I just believe more pace would be beneficial, I'd bring back Manson, as he is just so bloody quick, and our biggest strength is with quick turnovers and long-range tries.
-
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
Luck going our way we could have had either one of Tangitau's no tries.
Still reckon whoever was captain should have been in the ref's ear about a penalty try for the deliberate knock on. Ref could hardly have argued a try wasn't probable.
-
@Bones said in Highlanders 2025:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
Luck going our way we could have had either one of Tangitau's no tries.
Still reckon whoever was captain should have been in the ref's ear about a penalty try for the deliberate knock on. Ref could hardly have argued a try wasn't probable.
I like it.
"Hey ref, our right winger is one of the best in the comp. You can clearly see he would have got there. Give us the penalty try. The evidence is clear..."
Just watching the Landers U20s from yesterday. I really like the look of Mika Muliaina. I reckon there are about six future Landers in that side.
-
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
Hey ref, our right winger is one of the best in the comp. You can clearly see he would have got there. Give us the penalty try. The evidence is clear..
More like "hey ref, we clearly would have scored as we scored anyway, give us the PT".
-
Hard for the ref to argue against it
-
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
Hard for the ref to argue against it
Someone tell JJ I'm available and am a slight downgrade on Lowe.
-
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
@Bones said in Highlanders 2025:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
Just watching the Landers U20s from yesterday. I really like the look of Mika Muliaina. I reckon there are about six future Landers in that side.Can’t wait to see Mika, Pledger, Tengblad and Rangitutia running around in the highlanders jersey. Harvey as well could develop into a nice player. Some very talented players we need to make sure we hold on to.
As far as yesterday’s game, I posted that in the match thread. But just another thought, we need to win one of these games against the Brumbies or Force or else I fear the season could get away from us. With how many young guys we have in this team, it could result in heads dropping halfway through the season. Joseph will be well aware of the situation so let’s hope the players can bounce back.
-
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
The much maligned Hurley. He made mistakes you'd expect of a guy who has played six games at this level. His limitations aren't catching or kicking. He had a couple of clangers with dropping a ball cold and kicking out on the full. Defensively he did some good things. He is still one of the most exciting attacking players in the comp.
Yes - but Finn Hurley is not on the same level as JRK. I rate him above Gilbert, because as you say he can do some great things - but his basic error rate remains too high. This was the point I made the other day, in a game where he doesn't score a try or set up a try, what else does he provide? This is a reality check, that he won't play as he did v the Blues every week.
-
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
@Bones said in Highlanders 2025:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
Just watching the Landers U20s from yesterday. I really like the look of Mika Muliaina. I reckon there are about six future Landers in that side.Can’t wait to see Mika, Pledger, Tengblad and Rangitutia running around in the highlanders jersey. Harvey as well could develop into a nice player. Some very talented players we need to make sure we hold on to.
As far as yesterday’s game, I posted that in the match thread. But just another thought, we need to win one of these games against the Brumbies or Force or else I fear the season could get away from us. With how many young guys we have in this team, it could result in heads dropping halfway through the season. Joseph will be well aware of the situation so let’s hope the players can bounce back.
Rangitutia will be interesting to track in the NPC. Should hopefully get a full season.
Otago will have a balancing act between Te Hiwi, TUJ, Whaanga, Nareki, Rangitutia, Gilbert and Hurley.
Shaun Kempton is a player that will be worth tracking. Probably needs to size up.
I reckon the guys to eventually end up with full contracts are one of the props, Kempton, Tengblad, Rutledge, Pledger, Muliaina, Harvey, and Rangitutia.
