Highlanders 2025
-
gutted for JRK had been playing some real quality rugby, in terms of a Landers perspective all 3 of the Fijian outside are injured. so depending on recovery time frames I think outsides such as Michael Manson, Jack Gray & Issac Hutchinson would be candidates to be injury cover. 2 of them are obviously possibly chances to be signed up the road.
-
Obviously, this is largely a moot point as the season is still five months away, but if the Highlanders were to play tomorrow, our only fit midfielders and outside backs would be Tele'a, J Whaanga, Tangitau, Hurley...
Gilbert, Te Hiwi, Umaga-Jensen, M Whaanga, Nareki, JRK, Tavatavanawai and Lowe are all injured.
-
@Bovidae said in Highlanders 2025:
Manson:
He fielded a couple of calls about Super Rugby but is back to United States, where he will line up for Utah in Major League Rugby, where he was the competition’s top try scorer with 14 last year.
This is one of the stumbling blocks NZ Rugby is facing with MLR. A good number of players at the level under Super Rugby are not available for Super Rugby because they've got multi-year contracts in the US. Believe the Highlanders encountered this with Henry Bell last year as well. This group of players can go well in the NPC, but unavailable for the next Super season.
-
To be honest by the looks of things so far I’m very disappointed with the Highlanders selectors/recruitment team. Seems like it’s going to be full of mediocre Otago players again sprinkled with some outsiders. Hope a few of, Semisi Tupou, Isaac Hutchison, Taumoefolau, Jack Gray, Manson and Joe Johnson get looked at for a squad spot.
-
@HLD2023Champions said in Highlanders 2025:
To be honest by the looks of things so far I’m very disappointed with the Highlanders selectors/recruitment team. Seems like it’s going to be full of mediocre Otago players again sprinkled with some outsiders. Hope a few of, Semisi Tupou, Isaac Hutchison, Taumoefolau, Jack Gray, Manson and Joe Johnson get looked at for a squad spot.
Interesting comment. Not one I agree with. For a long time fans have complained the Highlanders were just a patch up job of bringing in players from elsewhere. That there needs to be more of a local focus. Which there clearly is. Medicore Otago players; the Otago players in the squad are Ma'u, Wingham, Bell, Holland, Stodart, Haig, Sanders (the second year of his contract), Arscott, Hastie, Faleafaga, Millar, Te Hiwi, Gilbert, Umaga-Jensen, Nareki and Hurley. Apart from Faleafaga, J Whaanga, Te Hiwi and Sanders (hopefully he will be gone). You'd say most are deserving pf their spots and there aren't obvious better options. J Whaanga is a long-term option. I don't want to see him on the wing. Needs to live on protein and gym sessions to become a long-term centre. Which of the Otago players are medicore and who should replace them. For example with your named guys, Taumoefolau plays for MP, Manson is going back to the States and Tupou is viewed as being behind Stodart as an 8 candidate. Interestingly Tupou is originally from OBHS and Stodart from Southland.
-
Going to be straight up honest here ..
Gilbert mid
Bell mid
Arscott mid
Sanders ass
Nareki Injury prone (waste of space)
Umaga-Jensen injury prone (but still excellent player) -
@HLD2023Champions said in Highlanders 2025:
Going to be straight up honest here ..
Gilbert mid
Bell mid
Arscott mid
Sanders ass
Nareki Injury prone (waste of space)
Umaga-Jensen injury prone (but still excellent player)That is identifying players to be booted. What I asked was who is available to replace them. It is easy to say someone is shit. But more difficult to say this player is available fits into the needs of the club. Nareki is still a top Super player when available and injury free. Umaga-Jensen still does a job. Same with Gilbert, who has certainly slipped down the pecking order.
-
Gilbert 😬😬😬
My bad didn’t read it properly haha, I’ll give you some names then -
Non-Orago players are probably more of a problem than the Otago players. Let's remember we signed Jonah Lowe to three years. DLB,who battles to keep a spot in the Canterbury team will be back next year. We can only sign players who are available and want to move to Dunedin. Players can't be forced to go to the Highlanders.
-
@HLD2023Champions said in Highlanders 2025:
To be honest by the looks of things so far I’m very disappointed with the Highlanders selectors/recruitment team. Seems like it’s going to be full of mediocre Otago players again sprinkled with some outsiders. Hope a few of, Semisi Tupou, Isaac Hutchison, Taumoefolau, Jack Gray, Manson and Joe Johnson get looked at for a squad spot.
Yeah I’m with @SouthernMann here, have to disagree. In the past we’ve reverted to signing players who haven’t worked out in their previous franchises and are usually past the 25/26 year old mark so wanting 1 last dig before heading offshore. Even trying offshore 10s that are into their 30’s and haven’t exactly worked out. Almost a last resort in some instances.
This season we’ve gone out and picked up Tangitau(21), Vikena(23), Lasaga(22), Stodart(21), J Whaanga(20), Finn Hurley(21), and so I’m told we have signed TK Howden which is yet to be announced, he is 23.
All of the above guys are huge talents that are yet to peak and hit their prime. It’s one of our better off seasons for signings in recent memory. Offering promising young talent in other franchises an opportunity to really compete for game time and I’m sure the addition of Jamie Joseph has also helped bring some of them down. Keep in mind, a lot of last years starters are young lads too, the likes of Withy, Millar, Ma’u, Haig, Holland, JRK. We are in a better place than we have been in I’d say the last 5/6 years in terms of how the near future looks.
Seems like you’re looking at this with the glass half empty, as a Lander fan I can understand that but when you take a step back and look at the bigger picture it’s definitely not as bad as you think. If anything, it’s promising and gives us fans something to actually look forward to.
-
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
@HLD2023Champions said in Highlanders 2025:
To be honest by the looks of things so far I’m very disappointed with the Highlanders selectors/recruitment team. Seems like it’s going to be full of mediocre Otago players again sprinkled with some outsiders. Hope a few of, Semisi Tupou, Isaac Hutchison, Taumoefolau, Jack Gray, Manson and Joe Johnson get looked at for a squad spot.
Yeah I’m with @SouthernMann here, have to disagree. In the past we’ve reverted to signing players who haven’t worked out in their previous franchises and are usually past the 25/26 year old mark so wanting 1 last dig before heading offshore. Even trying offshore 10s that are into their 30’s and haven’t exactly worked out. Almost a last resort in some instances.
This season we’ve gone out and picked up Tangitau(21), Vikena(23), Lasaga(22), Stodart(21), J Whaanga(20), Finn Hurley(21), and so I’m told we have signed TK Howden which is yet to be announced, he is 23.
All of the above guys are huge talents that are yet to peak and hit their prime. It’s one of our better off seasons for signings in recent memory. Offering promising young talent in other franchises an opportunity to really compete for game time and I’m sure the addition of Jamie Joseph has also helped bring some of them down. Keep in mind, a lot of last years starters are young lads too, the likes of Withy, Millar, Ma’u, Haig, Holland, JRK. We are in a better place than we have been in I’d say the last 5/6 years in terms of how the near future looks.
Seems like you’re looking at this with the glass half empty, as a Lander fan I can understand that but when you take a step back and look at the bigger picture it’s definitely not as bad as you think. If anything, it’s promising and gives us fans something to actually look forward to.
I don't want too sound negative but I think only Stodart is a huge talent and the rest are good talents of a some what unknown quanity but they're the kind of players that Jamie Joseph has had success with.
-
@brodean fair enough, you’re entitled to that opinion but you kind of missed the point. My point was we are getting young promising players instead of older guys who know their careers in NZ are coming to an end. It’s a step in the right direction.
-
@brodean said in Highlanders 2025:
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
@HLD2023Champions said in Highlanders 2025:
To be honest by the looks of things so far I’m very disappointed with the Highlanders selectors/recruitment team. Seems like it’s going to be full of mediocre Otago players again sprinkled with some outsiders. Hope a few of, Semisi Tupou, Isaac Hutchison, Taumoefolau, Jack Gray, Manson and Joe Johnson get looked at for a squad spot.
Yeah I’m with @SouthernMann here, have to disagree. In the past we’ve reverted to signing players who haven’t worked out in their previous franchises and are usually past the 25/26 year old mark so wanting 1 last dig before heading offshore. Even trying offshore 10s that are into their 30’s and haven’t exactly worked out. Almost a last resort in some instances.
This season we’ve gone out and picked up Tangitau(21), Vikena(23), Lasaga(22), Stodart(21), J Whaanga(20), Finn Hurley(21), and so I’m told we have signed TK Howden which is yet to be announced, he is 23.
All of the above guys are huge talents that are yet to peak and hit their prime. It’s one of our better off seasons for signings in recent memory. Offering promising young talent in other franchises an opportunity to really compete for game time and I’m sure the addition of Jamie Joseph has also helped bring some of them down. Keep in mind, a lot of last years starters are young lads too, the likes of Withy, Millar, Ma’u, Haig, Holland, JRK. We are in a better place than we have been in I’d say the last 5/6 years in terms of how the near future looks.
Seems like you’re looking at this with the glass half empty, as a Lander fan I can understand that but when you take a step back and look at the bigger picture it’s definitely not as bad as you think. If anything, it’s promising and gives us fans something to actually look forward to.
I don't want too sound negative but I think only Stodart is a huge talent and the rest are good talents of a some what unknown quanity but they're the kind of players that Jamie Joseph has had success with.
Have to disagree. I ate my words (somewhat) about Hurley, the rest of the young players have plenty of potential as well. All are super rugby calibre players.
I think you underestimate what Joseph’s impact will be. He is a much much much better coach than he was when he left New Zealand shores. The forward back will benefit immensely and the attitude problem the team has will, I hope, also be addressed.
If we don’t see marked improvements next year, I’d see it as more glass half empty but one should have high hopes
-
Not sure how you think I've underestimated Jamie Joseph from my comment?
A huge talent for me is someone like Lakai or Holland or Roigard. There's only a handful of guys across the country with that level of talent who are 23 or under.
All those players mentioned are good talents and Super level but they're all relatively unproven at Super level.
None of them have had dominant seasons at Super level like Lakai, Roigard or Holland.
-
I think it is semantics discussing what label to put on players such as 'huge talent', or whichever superlative or adjective we want to tag to them. What has been clear is the club is taking a long-term focus to its playing roster. For the most part the recent year on year changes are seeing players with higher ceilings coming in. These players are likely to have longer careers with the club and provide more continuity as well. Some of the guys we have contracted in the past have been nothing short of band-aid solutions of varying quality.
Contracting players at 20 is always going to be hit and miss, and some may not live up to expectations. Saula Ma’u is heading into his fourth year with the squad next year and is now at the point where he is seen as a quality prop. Haig and Holland stepped up straight away. Jack Taylor is coming along at the rate you'd probably expect. Cam Millar is exceeding expectations. Some of the lads are probably not progressing at the pace some would have hoped. Next year will be an interesting one for the likes of Faleafaga, Te Hiwi and Michaels for growth.What we do know from the last decade is that what was occurring in the player development/recruitment area did not work.
Comparing the fate of the team to Otago's performance is interesting. I'd only select six Otago players in the top XV, with up to another three or four on the bench.The other four franchises have stronger player bases, more kids to choose from and the ability to keep the quality with their regions. The Highlanders need to be tactical about who they chase from outside of region. They are getting some wins. The likes of Josh Tengblad, Tayne Harvey and Josh Augistine will be interesting to watch. What we can't afford to do is lose players like George Bell. The Crusaders don't let players of his quality bugger off to other teams.
The Press
