Highlanders 2024
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The Highlanders already have youngster Cam Millar on their books, but will again look for an experienced No 10 to guide Millar through the formative years of his career.
Gaps also exist at lock, loose forward and the midfield, where the Highlanders were unsuccessful in their attempts to land both Levi Aumua, who has joined the Crusaders, and Matt Proctor, the former Hurricanes midfielder who has signed for the Melbourne Rebels.
In each of these positions the Highlanders are looking for an experienced operator to complement their younger players, as they had already announced the signings of midfielder Jake Te Hiwi and loose forwards Oliver Haig and Hayden Michaels.
The Highlanders have also retained some older heads such as hard-working loose forward Hugh Renton – one of the standouts of the Super Rugby Pacific campaign – and props Daniel Lienert-Brown and Ayden Johnstone.
Ethan de Groot, Jermaine Ainsley, Saula Ma’u and Luca Inch will complete the six-strong group of props for 2024.
Locks Pari Pari Parkinson, Fabian Holland and Will Tucker are also returning, as is No 6/lock Max Hicks, but that quartet will need another body to cope with the inevitable injuries.
A hardened experienced hooker is also on the wish list. The original plan had been to retain one of Andrew Makalio, Rhys Marshall or Leni Apisai, but none of those players had strong enough seasons to warrant a new contract.
The Highlanders will take their time to assess options at hooker and in the midfield, with the need to scour overseas markets showing that the player market is tight, and intensely competitive in New Zealand.
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Had a chat to a mate that’s working for the Landers and I questioned him on the PUJ move and he just sent back a smiley face. He said he has heard of a few more signings like that but couldn’t confirm until they were announced. Watch this space Landers fans.
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Been fascinating reading a lot of doom and gloom about this announcement. Personally, I'm so excited. These are the players we had to move on to move forward. The only other player who hasn't worked in the squad is Jonah Lowe. But I'm willing to give him another year.
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@SouthernMann IIRC Lowe signed a 3-yr deal.
Is Inch ready for SR?
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Signing Lowe for three years was nothing short of desperation. A contract of that length for a mid range winger. Nuts. Dermody thinks very highly of Inch. I expect Hastie will quickly nab the no2 halfback spot off Arscott.
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@Canes4life said in Highlanders 2024:
Had a chat to a mate that’s working for the Landers and I questioned him on the PUJ move and he just sent back a smiley face. He said he has heard of a few more signings like that but couldn’t confirm until they were announced. Watch this space Landers fans.
Well we know of PUJ and JRK.
With what was announced today, in the backline there is only a spot left for another two first fives (We assume one to be Faleafaga) and an outside back. In the pack, Henry Bell will be there, and we assume Jack Taylor will be. Leaves one spot at hooker, another lock, and another lock/loose forward/prop.
One first five spot, the hooker spot I expect will be filled by overseas players by the sounds. The lock spot is also not filled, though conceivably we have picked up another one of those.
I guess what I'm really saying is, in terms of really exciting signings already made, there isn't a heck of a lot of room, because I'm fairly confident that where we don't know, we don't actually have a player signed. The only other really cool signing would be Tavatavanawai for the back three, but we haven't heard anything about that.
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Irish Paul and the ODT confirm Bell, Taylor and Faleafaga. Also says Hurley and Stodart won't be there next year. https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/132439491/highlanders-sign-young-trio-ajay-faleafaga-jack-taylor-and-henry-bell
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2024:
Irish Paul and the ODT confirm Bell, Taylor and Faleafaga. Also says Hurley and Stodart won't be there next year. https://i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/132439491/highlanders-sign-young-trio-ajay-faleafaga-jack-taylor-and-henry-bell
I love this, the way to go. Super is pretty well locked in until 2030, so teams can spend some time developing players etc. I also believe that in the long run the team will have a good Highlander's culture and will stay more loyal to team. This is what Aussie teams seem(or should) to be realising is the way forward, rather than just want to buy NZ players!!
Well done Clan!!!
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Highlanders Announce New Additions to 2024 Squad | Highlanders Rugby Club Limited Partnership
The Highlanders have announced the signing of several young players for 2024. In a move that was well signposted during the year players from their High Performance Programme will graduate to full contracts next season. Otago first-five, Cameron Millar, will be joined in the squad by fellow Otago...
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if im honest, maybe its me or maybe its all been a bit confusing, but i though Haig, hastie, millar and Ajay were already signed for 2024
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Te Hiwi, Millar, Hastie, Haig and Michaels were all confirmed end of last year. Taylor and Faleafaga are a year younger so I think they wanted to give them some more time just to see, but they have proven they are ready enough. Bell is obviously not as young, but this was wrapped up end of the NPC. I think the Landers would have liked to have had him this year, but they rushed in and panicked, signing up Leni Apisai which they later regretted,
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I think this is honestly the first time since 2019, I can look at our squad without my blue-tinted glasses trying to kid me and be excited about our squad. There was a fleeting moment in 2021 when we picked up Alaimalo, but it was very fleeting. We have had 15 players depart, the same number as 2019. For comparison, these were who we signed for 2020V2024:
2020 SIGNINGS:
Jeff Thwaites, Ethan de Groot, Ricky Jackson, Manaaki Selby-Rickit, Jesse Parete, Zane Kapeli, Sione Misiloi, Teariki Ben-Nicholas, Mitch Hunt, Chris Kuridrani, Jona Nareki, Scott Gregory, Michael Collins, Ngane Punivai, Connor Garden-Bachop & Vilimoni KoroiOf these, at the time I think it was genuinely accepted that de Groot, Jackson, MSR, Hunt and Nareki were really good pickups, Scott Gregory and CGB fairly good, and the rest... well we might have shown brief excitement, but they are all a bunch of journeyman. LOOK AT THOSE LOOSE FORWARDS!
In practice, you'd have to say de Groot and Nareki have been raging successes, and barring CGB where the jury is still firmly out, the others were all abject failures.
Now thankfully, I think we have learned, because of those seven new signings announced today (Not Millar), I think there is real belief in all of those guys, but particularly Jack Taylor, Oli Haig and Ajay Faleafaga to be top top quality. Couple that with the others, who I think are crucially local and hungry, we are heading in the right direction. Sprinkle in PUJ and JRK, as well as the next best double-barrel name from overseas, and this is a squad who takes steps forwards, not backwards next year. I'm excited for the future.
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I think a fair goal for next year is to win more games than we lose, and make Forsyth Barr Stadium a hard ground to play at for opposition sides. If we win more than we lose, we will finish between 5th and 7th, depending on how the other sides up the top go.
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2024:
I think a fair goal for next year is to win more games than we lose, and make Forsyth Barr Stadium a hard ground to play at for opposition sides. If we win more than we lose, we will finish between 5th and 7th, depending on how the other sides up the top go.
I think we need some standards. I'd like to see them set a goal of winning 5-6 Home Games, and then the rest will take care of itself. We should make the eight no problem this season I think.
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The big problem is that basically none of the guys that the Highlanders have signed are proven performers. We've seen plenty of age-grade superstars tank once they reach the big leagues (probably more often than not...). A lot of these guys aren't even top age-grade players, they're just half-decent, and while they certainly all have potential, it's entirely possible (and perhaps even probable) that they're no better than the men they're replacing.
Time will tell, of course.
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@Mr-Fish Not every players needs to be terrific, but it is important that we build a core of local players... and I'd argue half of those guys do have superstar potential. Haig and Millar in particular. Faleafaga and Hastie both slick, whilst Taylor and Bell will be tidy. I think we probably need another top quality hooker, but these guys are all more or less upgrades on previous strategies. I'm not sold on Te Hiwi, but could hardly be worse than some of the other idiots we have had, whilst Michaels is only the third choice openside, so fits the bill perfectly.
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@frugby said in Highlanders 2024:
@Mr-Fish Not every players needs to be terrific, but it is important that we build a core of local players... and I'd argue half of those guys do have superstar potential. Haig and Millar in particular. Faleafaga and Hastie both slick, whilst Taylor and Bell will be tidy. I think we probably need another top quality hooker, but these guys are all more or less upgrades on previous strategies. I'm not sold on Te Hiwi, but could hardly be worse than some of the other idiots we have had, whilst Michaels is only the third choice openside, so fits the bill perfectly.
I mean, around half the players from U20 squads tend to push on and have decent Super Rugby careers - and maybe half of those guys are better than journeymen, or the standard of players that the Highlanders already have in abundance. So maybe 8/30 would improve the standard or the Highlanders (after at least two or three years investment).
Have the Highlanders picked the right eight, or just the eight that were willing to head south (or are already living in Highlanders country)?
It's definitely possible the Highlanders have struck gold but statistically speaking (and based on the recent recruitment calls made by the coaches in the past few years), it's unlikely. If it were the Crusaders bringing in five or so age-grade stars I would be a lot more confident that they had a) identified the top talent and lured them to Christchurch, and b) will nurture their talents adequately. In the Highlanders' case, I think that's probably a bit much to ask...
