Highlanders 2026
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Taylor has also been a better lineout thrower than Taukei'aho and Bell this season too.
The Canes have the shortest lineout in the comp which puts a lot of pressure on their hookers. They regularly played Kirifi, Lakai and Iose. None of their top 3 locks are above 197.
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@Mr-Fish probably other thing that's interesting is that Saula Ma'au isn't the selection frame either. He made All Blacks XV last year. And aside from 2 - 3 miserable games mid season made a good comeback towards the end of the year.
With George Dyer heading overseas my assumption is he's have been first in line due to injury to be called into the squad. However given he's not in the camp you'd have to assume someone else is.
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@handa457 said in Highlanders 2026:
@Mr-Fish probably other thing that's interesting is that Saula Ma'au isn't the selection frame either. He made All Blacks XV last year. And aside from 2 - 3 miserable games mid season made a good comeback towards the end of the year.
With George Dyer heading overseas my assumption is he's have been first in line due to injury to be called into the squad. However given he's not in the camp you'd have to assume someone else is.
It’s just a smaller contingent at camp, nothing outrageous in terms on numbers. They will have both Lomax and Tosi there.
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an @brodean said in Highlanders 2026:
Conversely, none of their locks are below 1.97 and two are more than 2 metres tall.Taylor has also been a better lineout thrower than Taukei'aho and Bell this season too.
The Canes have the shortest lineout in the comp which puts a lot of pressure on their hookers. They regularly played Kirifi, Lakai and Iose. None of their top 3 locks are above 197.
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James Arscott confirming he is leaving Highlanders/Otago
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Looks like Filimone saying thanks and goodbye as well.
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Hearing Hastie is being linked to the Western Force
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@CtownCowboy said in Highlanders 2026:
Hearing Hastie is being linked to the Western Force
interesting I thought he might have been worth a punt by a NZ franchise.
Crusaders for Drummond
Hurricanes for Enari
Chiefs for TTT -
@Chris said in Highlanders 2026:
@CtownCowboy said in Highlanders 2026:
Hearing Hastie is being linked to the Western Force
interesting I thought he might have been worth a punt by a NZ franchise.
Crusaders for Drummond
Hurricanes for Enari
Chiefs for TTTHe's definitely better than Enari.
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@Canes4life said in Highlanders 2026:
@Chris said in Highlanders 2026:
@CtownCowboy said in Highlanders 2026:
Hearing Hastie is being linked to the Western Force
interesting I thought he might have been worth a punt by a NZ franchise.
Crusaders for Drummond
Hurricanes for Enari
Chiefs for TTTHe's definitely better than Enari.
Yeah at least he is a running threat.
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Force makes sense for Hastie. Grew up there until 2019. Played first XV with Tamati Williams over there. Its first string halfback getting on. Would he have already done the Australian residency?
What I'm frustrated about is that we haven't seen it announced who is leaving the franchise yet
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@frugby said in Highlanders 2026:
The way it works, is they will not announce players leaving who have not yet signed elsewhere. Standard practice.
No it isn't. The last two years two to three weeks after the season they have released a list.
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@SouthernMann all of whoom had signed with other franchises. Last year from memory it was CGB, Harmon, Bodego, Ainsley, Patchell and Pari Pari.
Jackson, Johnstone, Hicks, Plummer, Takafu, Tucke, Sanders, Timu and Whaanga were not announced at that stage.
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2026:
Force makes sense for Hastie. Grew up there until 2019. Played first XV with Tamati Williams over there. Its first string halfback getting on. Would he have already done the Australian residency?
What I'm frustrated about is that we haven't seen it announced who is leaving the franchise yet
Sad thing is he's one of the few Logan Park High School-adjacent rugby players we could claim.
His dad was the standout loosie for LPHS in the early 1990s.
Otherwise it's Flilipo Levi, who switched to Otago Boys in 7th form, or Shane Stewart, who played for Ulster about 25 years ago.
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@Smudge said in Highlanders 2026:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2026:
Force makes sense for Hastie. Grew up there until 2019. Played first XV with Tamati Williams over there. Its first string halfback getting on. Would he have already done the Australian residency?
What I'm frustrated about is that we haven't seen it announced who is leaving the franchise yet
Sad thing is he's one of the few Logan Park High School-adjacent rugby players we could claim.
His dad was the standout loosie for LPHS in the early 1990s.
Otherwise it's Flilipo Levi, who switched to Otago Boys in 7th form, or Shane Stewart, who played for Ulster about 25 years ago.
LPHS the home of Sparkie Dickel. Fuck all else in the sports arena. The only Dunedin school that can claim a current national talk back radio host though.
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@SouthernMann They also had 100m Olympics sprinter Chris Donaldson
Hurricanes: Squads
