Otago 2020
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This year is a season that will possibly be an interesting one with us not gaining much international experience while other Championship sides have. Any signings and/or player movements that Otago have done could be talked about here
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Last year's top try scorer in the Auckland club competition, Freedom Vaha'akolo, has been playing club rugby in Dunedin. Might be a signing?
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@NateHill74 Don't worry, the Magpies are traditionally one of the biggest competitors of Otago and vice versa. We only have one returning AB. Taranaki and Manawatū, on the other hand ....
Otago have Coltman and Josh Ioane, and a few AB7s players, I assume?
Have Otago lost players to Japan in recent years, who may have returned due to Covid?
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@Stargazer Hawkes Bays determination to keep hold of their good players has really made one of our traditional development streams dry up
Freedom Vaha'akolo, no idea but i hope!
Lentjes and Dicksons injuries will add some issues, we only have 20 players (including those 2) on our website, maybe left some room fr people shining during the club season
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Saula Ma'u injured for season too with Josh Dickson and James Lentjes. Freedom is part of the wider training group for this year
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Wider Training Group The wider training group announcement
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with Ben smith playing club rugby in dunners...might we see him turn out for Otago, a bit less stressful than super rugby
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@Stargazer I don't think we have any sevens players apart from Taylor Haugh, Vilimoni Koroi, and Jona Nareki, but then again they were all pretty much guaranteed to play provincial anyways. Not sure about the Japanese rugby players returning though. Like Sekonaia Pole
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What's Aki Seiuli up to?
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@Kiwiwomble No, he's not playing club rugby, just helping out the coaching team for Green Island as they can't risk injury cause they can't pay the Japanese club that he'll turn out for
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@Tim He's at Glasgow Warriors
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@NateHill74 said in Otago Mitre 10 Cup 2020:
@Kiwiwomble No, he's not playing club rugby, just helping out the coaching team for Green Island as they can't risk injury cause they can't pay the Japanese club that he'll turn out for
bugger, thought i had seen him say he was looking forward to turning out for green island
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Players guaranteed gone from last year:
Aki Seiuli - Glasgow Warriors
Angus Williams - Northern Hemisphere
Sekonaia Pole?? - Japan
Louis Conradie - South Africa
Joe Latta - Not too sure, not playing club rugby
Joketani Koroi - Stade Francais
Rowan Gouws - South Africa
Connor McLeod - Hawke's Bay?
Harumichi Tatekawa - Japan
Henry Purdy - Bristol Bears
Saula Ma'u - Injured
Josh Dickson - Injured
James Lentjes - Injured -
@Kiwiwomble yeah, on his instagram he said that he wouldn't be playing but helping out coaching wise
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@NateHill74 Yep, Connor McLeod has returned home to Hawke's Bay and is playing club rugby there.
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Players signed for this season:
George Bower - Prop (Crusaders/Harbour)
Jonah Aoina - Prop (Kaikorai)
Hisa Sasagi - Prop (Southern)
Liam Coltman - Hooker (Highlanders/Alhambra Union)
Ricky Jackson - Hooker (Highlanders/University)
SIone Misiloi - Lock/No 6 (Highlanders/Harbour)
Josh Hill - Lock (University)
Slade McDowall - No 7 (Kaikorai)
Dylan Nel - No 8 (Chiefs/Green Island)
Kayne Hammington - Half Back (Highlanders/Zingari Richmond)
Josh Ioane - First Five/Second Five (Highlanders/Southern)
Aleki Morris-Lome - Midfielder (Harbour)
Sio Tomkinson - Midfielder/Wing (Highlanders/Harbour)
Matt Whaanga - Midfielder (Taieri)
Jona Nareki - Wing (Highlanders/Alhambra Union)
Vilimoni Koroi - Full Back/Utility Back (Highlanders/Alhambra Union)
Michael Collins - Full Back (Highlanders/Taieri) -
Players from last season unsigned but playing in Dunedin:
Mika Mafi - No 8 (Southern)
James Arscott - Half Back (Green Island)
Josh Timu - Midfielder/Utility Back (University)
Mitchell Scott - Wing/Full Back (Taieri)
Taylor Haugh - WIng/Full Back (University) -
@NateHill74 Jamie Mackintosh? Assuming it is that JM, I thought he was back playing club rugby in Southland?
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@Bovidae Yeah, he's playing club rugby for Kaikorai in Dunedin, and in the Wider Training Group for Otago at the moment
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Possible 23 for this season:
- Jonah Aoina
- Liam Coltman
- Hisa Sasagi
- Josh Hill
- Sione Misiloi
- Not to sure yet
- Slade McDowall
- Dylan Nel
- Kayne Hammington
- Josh Ioane
- Jona Nareki
- Sio Tomkinson
- Aleki Morris-Lome
- Vilimoni Koroi
- Michael Collins (C)
- Ricky Jackson
- Jamie Mackintosh
- Not to sure yet
- Woody Kirkwood (North Otago last year)
- Not to sure yet
- James Arscott
- Matt Whaanga
- Freedom Vaha'akolo
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i assume Collins prefers fullback but he played a bit in the midfield when fin the otago team and thought he was ok, personally i prefer that and have Koroi at 15...i think hes wasted out wide and neither he nor Nareki are exactly big and i'd like at least one big winger
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@NateHill74 Have you seen Kegan Christian-Goss playing club rugby for Dunedin? I wonder how he is developing. He was a good 10/12 for Napier Boys a few years ago. Probably, still a bit early for NPC, if he reaches that level.
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@Stargazer I personally haven't seen him from what I remember but he's been on the verges on the team usually with playing in the development team. He's pretty good for Dunedin and of course versatile, playing wing and midfield. He's not a bad player to be fair though
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@Kiwiwomble Yeah like 2012-15 he played centre a lot especially if Ben Smith was there and Peter Breen etc. I personally like Vili in the action and not on the wing but with players in specific positions I can't see him anywhere else. Collins is great at full back, Josh (3rd best in NZ) at 10, and the midfield of Sio and Morris-Lome is perfect as they played together through schools, club and rep. So the wing is the only other spot for him, unless he's a super sub and have Freedom starting on the wing with Jona
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@NateHill74 do you think collins is better the koroi at 15 though? captain aside id have koroi ahead of him, collins is solid...koroi is electric
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@Kiwiwomble It's a good debate though, isn't it. As you said, it's either leadership and knowledge at full-back or electrifying speed and agility. Personally, Vili would be better as a super-sub and can bring on impact like how Damian McKenzie did for the AB's against France and England a couple of years ago
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@NateHill74 yeah, i could see that
i guess thats why i was wondering if collins could move to the midfield, a proper playmaker at 15 and the leadership/experience closer to the action in the midfield
not a fan of captains in the outside backs...just too far from whats going on
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@Kiwiwomble That's true kind of the same with Ben Smith at the Highlanders, maybe add co-captains like Southland. Maybe have Liam Coltman, or Slade McDowall as a captain, which also has the backs/forwards leaders too.
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hoping the highlanders has answered some questions for Otago
10. Ioane
11. Nareki
12. sio
13. collins
14.?
15. KoroiThat could actually do some damage this year in the championship, bulk of our backline paying/training together during super rugby
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apparently we've resigned Josh Hohneck
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@Kiwiwomble mate, you still got contacts in dunners?
Someone has to have the oil on Walden this season
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@Kiwiwomble said in Otago Mitre 10 Cup 2020:
apparently we've resigned Josh Hohneck
I hate how resign and resign have opposite meanings in describing pro sports people's futures 😄
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@Siam said in Otago Mitre 10 Cup 2020:
@Kiwiwomble mate, you still got contacts in dunners?
Someone has to have the oil on Walden this season
I don’t but I think @NateHill74 might
But Walden moved to the naki didn’t he?
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@Kiwiwomble thought he was always 'naki!
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@Bones 40+ games for the razorbacks mate
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@Bones No, he played for Otago from 2013-2017 (according to Wikipedia); he moved there to study at Otago Uni. But he's originally from Taranaki, and decided to return in 2018.
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@Kiwiwomble said in Otago Mitre 10 Cup 2020:
@Bones 40+ games for the razorbacks mate
Yeah, confusing Wiki page...
I've only seen him play NPC in the last couple of years so I guess that was my poor assumption.
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Article in the ODT about Walden returning to Taranaki:
Midfielder Walden to return to Taranaki
Otago has lost one of its most experienced players with midfielder Tei Walden leaving the province for Taranaki. Walden (24) comes from Taranaki...
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@Bones said in Otago Mitre 10 Cup 2020:
@Kiwiwomble said in Otago Mitre 10 Cup 2020:
@Bones 40+ games for the razorbacks mate
Yeah, confusing Wiki page...
I've only seen him play NPC in the last couple of years so I guess that was my poor assumption.
Wonder if that’s true he’s only got 10 games in the last couple of years for the naki, would have been better staying down south!
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@Kiwiwomble That's only 2018. The info hasn't been updated since 12 October 2018.
Teihorangi Walden - Wikipedia