Highlanders 2025
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@SouthernMann Let’s pray these Josh Jacomb rumours are true…
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Yeah. The big missing piece of the puzzle.
Here is Paul Dwyer doing a bit of a wrap on the season from the awards.
ODT Landers Chat: 2025 Highlanders Awards
ODT Landers Chat was at the Highlanders awards night at the Otago Business Centre and caught up with all the action.
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Interesting chat with Fabian Holland from the media stand up
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Is very loyal to the Highlanders. He sees Dunedin as his home.
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says a lot of progress is being made and there is a fair bit of drive in the squad
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had a couple of offers from other franchises
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talked about his brother a fair bit, and the drive Quentin has to be successful as well. Looks like Quentin has been injured most of the year. Made a return from for Dunedin over the weekend.
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that his sister this year made the Dutch women's squad. Is an outside back
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
Interesting chat with Fabian Holland from the media stand up
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Is very loyal to the Highlanders. He sees Dunedin as his home.
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says a lot of progress is being made and there is a fair bit of drive in the squad
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had a couple of offers from other franchises
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talked about his brother a fair bit, and the drive Quentin has to be successful as well. Looks like Quentin has been injured most of the year. Made a return from for Dunedin over the weekend.
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that his sister this year made the Dutch women's squad. Is an outside back
The Landers will only get stronger signing up these young guys. He's a massive signing and will be the heart of that Highlanders forward pack for years to come.
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I'm going down to this game, looking forward to a decent performance. And having a skin full after a days drinking.
Farewell match for at least DLB and Gilbert?
Question marks over whether Fillimone and Lowe are coming back? Same with Tele'a? Loft may be surplus to requirements next year.
Everyone else will be back.
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@WoodysRFC said in Highlanders 2025:
Has Bell been injured or does JJ simply much prefer Jack Taylor?
Henry Bell last played club footy at the start of May. Jack Taylor seems well locked in as the no1. Has come on well this year.
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@SouthernMann including Tai Cribb?
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
I'm going down to this game, looking forward to a decent performance. And having a skin full after a days drinking.
Farewell match for at least DLB and Gilbert?
Question marks over whether Fillimone and Lowe are coming back? Same with Tele'a? Loft may be surplus to requirements next year.
Everyone else will be back.
At the awards dinner the only two they confirmed as leaving were Gilbert and Faleafaga.
You’d assume DLB won’t be back, but I guess this is recognition of the fact he isn’t retiring, so in theory could be - I’d have thought he would want a Landers farewell though considering the amount of games he has played.
The fact Tele’a hasn’t been announced as leaving suggests to me he hasn’t signed elsewhere which should mean he is back.
Lowe was probably unwanted, but might have done enough to get a renewal… doubt we’ll see Loft or Filimone back. Loft is basically last man standing in the pack.
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@frugby said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
I'm going down to this game, looking forward to a decent performance. And having a skin full after a days drinking.
Farewell match for at least DLB and Gilbert?
Question marks over whether Fillimone and Lowe are coming back? Same with Tele'a? Loft may be surplus to requirements next year.
Everyone else will be back.
At the awards dinner the only two they confirmed as leaving were Gilbert and Faleafaga.
You’d assume DLB won’t be back, but I guess this is recognition of the fact he isn’t retiring, so in theory could be - I’d have thought he would want a Landers farewell though considering the amount of games he has played.
The fact Tele’a hasn’t been announced as leaving suggests to me he hasn’t signed elsewhere which should mean he is back.
Lowe was probably unwanted, but might have done enough to get a renewal… doubt we’ll see Loft or Filimone back. Loft is basically last man standing in the pack.
I'd hope that someone like Casey pushes himself into contention. I have high hopes for him come NPC time.
I reckon we will see Cribb back. Might even have four specialist locks next year.
DLB is an interesting one. Seems he could just be kept on ice. May be we may need you. May be we might find someone better and shuffle him on. Same goes with Lowe.
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@frugby said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
I'm going down to this game, looking forward to a decent performance. And having a skin full after a days drinking.
Farewell match for at least DLB and Gilbert?
Question marks over whether Fillimone and Lowe are coming back? Same with Tele'a? Loft may be surplus to requirements next year.
Everyone else will be back.
At the awards dinner the only two they confirmed as leaving were Gilbert and Faleafaga.
You’d assume DLB won’t be back, but I guess this is recognition of the fact he isn’t retiring, so in theory could be - I’d have thought he would want a Landers farewell though considering the amount of games he has played.
The fact Tele’a hasn’t been announced as leaving suggests to me he hasn’t signed elsewhere which should mean he is back.
Lowe was probably unwanted, but might have done enough to get a renewal… doubt we’ll see Loft or Filimone back. Loft is basically last man standing in the pack.
Know where?
He seems like a wasted talent thus far, he was a huge signing and has been a failure for the Landers, and may make it harder to attract guys from Auckland schoolboy in the future... -
@gt12 said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
@frugby said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
I'm going down to this game, looking forward to a decent performance. And having a skin full after a days drinking.
Farewell match for at least DLB and Gilbert?
Question marks over whether Fillimone and Lowe are coming back? Same with Tele'a? Loft may be surplus to requirements next year.
Everyone else will be back.
At the awards dinner the only two they confirmed as leaving were Gilbert and Faleafaga.
You’d assume DLB won’t be back, but I guess this is recognition of the fact he isn’t retiring, so in theory could be - I’d have thought he would want a Landers farewell though considering the amount of games he has played.
The fact Tele’a hasn’t been announced as leaving suggests to me he hasn’t signed elsewhere which should mean he is back.
Lowe was probably unwanted, but might have done enough to get a renewal… doubt we’ll see Loft or Filimone back. Loft is basically last man standing in the pack.
Know where?
He seems like a wasted talent thus far, he was a huge signing and has been a failure for the Landers, and may make it harder to attract guys from Auckland schoolboy in the future...Why? If players are looking at a guy like Faleafaga not succeeding then basing their decision off that then says more about them than anything. If he was good enough he would have pushed on. It’s unfortunate that he hasn’t but that’s footy. I’m sure every franchise has had similar outcomes with bringing young players in from outside the region.
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@Landers92 said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
@gt12 said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
@frugby said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
I'm going down to this game, looking forward to a decent performance. And having a skin full after a days drinking.
Farewell match for at least DLB and Gilbert?
Question marks over whether Fillimone and Lowe are coming back? Same with Tele'a? Loft may be surplus to requirements next year.
Everyone else will be back.
At the awards dinner the only two they confirmed as leaving were Gilbert and Faleafaga.
You’d assume DLB won’t be back, but I guess this is recognition of the fact he isn’t retiring, so in theory could be - I’d have thought he would want a Landers farewell though considering the amount of games he has played.
The fact Tele’a hasn’t been announced as leaving suggests to me he hasn’t signed elsewhere which should mean he is back.
Lowe was probably unwanted, but might have done enough to get a renewal… doubt we’ll see Loft or Filimone back. Loft is basically last man standing in the pack.
Know where?
He seems like a wasted talent thus far, he was a huge signing and has been a failure for the Landers, and may make it harder to attract guys from Auckland schoolboy in the future...Why? If players are looking at a guy like Faleafaga not succeeding then basing their decision off that then says more about them than anything. If he was good enough he would have pushed on. It’s unfortunate that he hasn’t but that’s footy. I’m sure every franchise has had similar outcomes with bringing young players in from outside the region.
U19s (star) and U20s representative, announced as a huge signing, has gone nowhere and had very few chances.
You can feel free to disagree, but if it were a student from my 1st XV program I'd be asking why he hasn't had more opportunities.
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@gt12 fair enough. He’s definitely talented and a guy I can see going elsewhere and succeeding. For one reason or another it just hasn’t worked out. Would have liked for him to hang around for another year. A guy you can see going to Japan and ripping up.
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Will post in here after discussions in the Highlanders vs Chiefs match thread.
I asked a contact about the Ajay Faleafaga leaving news that @frugby posted about at the awards night. By all accounts he has signed on to play in Japan, couldn’t disclose which club but sounds like it’s a done deal. Unsure what that means for NPC with Otago.
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@gt12 signing an 18 yr old to a super contract always comes with a risk. we've seen the last decade the players that find it easier thriving in dunedin have actually already had a year or 2 in the Blues pro ranks, Fekitoa, Naholo, Ratumaitavuki kneepkens & Tangitau. I can see why Joseph is aiming for Jacomb already a 2 year super player and has legitimate success at npc level.
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@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
Will post in here after discussions in the Highlanders vs Chiefs match thread.
I asked a contact about the Ajay Faleafaga leaving news that @frugby posted about at the awards night. By all accounts he has signed on to play in Japan, couldn’t disclose which club but sounds like it’s a done deal. Unsure what that means for NPC with Otago.
Faleafaga to Japan was a done deal back in about March (possibly even earlier). I would assume he is still in for Otago though.
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
@WoodysRFC said in Highlanders 2025:
Has Bell been injured or does JJ simply much prefer Jack Taylor?
Henry Bell last played club footy at the start of May. Jack Taylor seems well locked in as the no1. Has come on well this year.
Taylor has had a very strong end to the season just quietly. Seems to have found another gear.
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@gt12 said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
@frugby said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
I'm going down to this game, looking forward to a decent performance. And having a skin full after a days drinking.
Farewell match for at least DLB and Gilbert?
Question marks over whether Fillimone and Lowe are coming back? Same with Tele'a? Loft may be surplus to requirements next year.
Everyone else will be back.
At the awards dinner the only two they confirmed as leaving were Gilbert and Faleafaga.
You’d assume DLB won’t be back, but I guess this is recognition of the fact he isn’t retiring, so in theory could be - I’d have thought he would want a Landers farewell though considering the amount of games he has played.
The fact Tele’a hasn’t been announced as leaving suggests to me he hasn’t signed elsewhere which should mean he is back.
Lowe was probably unwanted, but might have done enough to get a renewal… doubt we’ll see Loft or Filimone back. Loft is basically last man standing in the pack.
Know where?
He seems like a wasted talent thus far, he was a huge signing and has been a failure for the Landers, and may make it harder to attract guys from Auckland schoolboy in the future...Without going into too much detail, seems he just has never settled in Dunedin... he also has just been a massive letdown on the field. He has moments of absolute quality, but his general decision making sucks.
