Highlanders 2025
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@Duluth said in Highlanders 2025:
According to the ODT the worst number of wins in a season for the Highlanders is 3 (1997, 2008, 2010 & 2013)
They currently have 3 and have the Hurricanes (away), Crusaders (away) & Chiefs (in Dunedin)
Any optimism for at least one more win?
No more wins on current form. The optimist inside me says we cpuld steal one against the Chiefs if they lock in top of the table and rest a few players though.
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After six years of service and 56 games Highlander #295 Sam Gilbert will be departing our shores to play for Connacht in Ireland at the end of this year’s NPC.
Sam made his debut for the club in 2020 and has been our go to man many times over the last six seasons having played every position in the backline apart from halfback.
We wish him all the very best in the next chapter of his rugby story.
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@cala7x said in Highlanders 2025:
After six years of service and 56 games Highlander #295 Sam Gilbert will be departing our shores to play for Connacht in Ireland at the end of this year’s NPC.
Sam made his debut for the club in 2020 and has been our go to man many times over the last six seasons having played every position in the backline apart from halfback.
We wish him all the very best in the next chapter of his rugby story.
Good luck to the bloke. He gave it a good crack.
Was never the most talented player. Always did what was asked of him..
In most teams he would have been the ultimate depth man. When major injury strikes, is called in. He has played the majority of games over the last six years. Shows how weak we have been. Absolutely nuts he was made vice captain last year.
Hope he goes well up north.
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@cala7x said in Highlanders 2025:
After six years of service and 56 games Highlander #295 Sam Gilbert will be departing our shores to play for Connacht in Ireland at the end of this year’s NPC.
Sam made his debut for the club in 2020 and has been our go to man many times over the last six seasons having played every position in the backline apart from halfback.
We wish him all the very best in the next chapter of his rugby story.
He’s copped a bit of stick over the last couple years but he’s been a solid squad player since he joined and by all accounts a good person as well. Fell into the ‘Mr fix it’ role and I feel it messed with him a bit, especially for Otago.
Good luck to him over there, I feel he will suit that playing style well. All the best to him. Hope he does well.
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@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
@cala7x said in Highlanders 2025:
After six years of service and 56 games Highlander #295 Sam Gilbert will be departing our shores to play for Connacht in Ireland at the end of this year’s NPC.
Sam made his debut for the club in 2020 and has been our go to man many times over the last six seasons having played every position in the backline apart from halfback.
We wish him all the very best in the next chapter of his rugby story.
He’s copped a bit of stick over the last couple years but he’s been a solid squad player since he joined and by all accounts a good person as well. Fell into the ‘Mr fix it’ role and I feel it messed with him a bit, especially for Otago.
Good luck to him over there, I feel he will suit that playing style well. All the best to him. Hope he does well.
A solid squad player. Is the best way to sum him up.
Sadly, a lack of capability around him meant he had to be a leading hand.
A guy who was essentially the level of a steady NPC starter, or a 2nd/3rd string Super player was required to be one of the star players in the Landers set up. The expectations and then feedback wasn't fair on him.
I agree with you, his style will likely go well up there.
My hope for the NPC is that guys who will be around next year are prioritised over him.
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@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
@cala7x said in Highlanders 2025:
After six years of service and 56 games Highlander #295 Sam Gilbert will be departing our shores to play for Connacht in Ireland at the end of this year’s NPC.
Sam made his debut for the club in 2020 and has been our go to man many times over the last six seasons having played every position in the backline apart from halfback.
We wish him all the very best in the next chapter of his rugby story.
He’s copped a bit of stick over the last couple years but he’s been a solid squad player since he joined and by all accounts a good person as well. Fell into the ‘Mr fix it’ role and I feel it messed with him a bit, especially for Otago.
Good luck to him over there, I feel he will suit that playing style well. All the best to him. Hope he does well.
Yeah they're not bad players, they just get the finger pointed at them more when things aren't going so well. As was said earlier, in sides going well, they're handy squad players.
We had one in the 2010s at the Blues, Michael Collins. Again, not a bad squad player, but as he was playing more and more and the side wasn't going well, he then copped more criticism as he wasn't what we needed at the time, but again, would have been a handy fill in for a better side back then.
That's who Gilbert kind of reminds me of in terms of how good he is.
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@African-Monkey said in Highlanders 2025:
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
@cala7x said in Highlanders 2025:
After six years of service and 56 games Highlander #295 Sam Gilbert will be departing our shores to play for Connacht in Ireland at the end of this year’s NPC.
Sam made his debut for the club in 2020 and has been our go to man many times over the last six seasons having played every position in the backline apart from halfback.
We wish him all the very best in the next chapter of his rugby story.
He’s copped a bit of stick over the last couple years but he’s been a solid squad player since he joined and by all accounts a good person as well. Fell into the ‘Mr fix it’ role and I feel it messed with him a bit, especially for Otago.
Good luck to him over there, I feel he will suit that playing style well. All the best to him. Hope he does well.
Yeah they're not bad players, they just get the finger pointed at them more when things aren't going so well. As was said earlier, in sides going well, they're handy squad players.
We had one in the 2010s at the Blues, Michael Collins. Again, not a bad squad player, but as he was playing more and more and the side wasn't going well, he then copped more criticism as he wasn't what we needed at the time, but again, would have been a handy fill in for a better side back then.
That's who Gilbert kind of reminds me of in terms of how good he is.
We know Michael Collins very well. He was ours he's before his time in Auckland, before coming back for a stint at the Landers. Looked like he was running in mud
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
@African-Monkey said in Highlanders 2025:
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
@cala7x said in Highlanders 2025:
After six years of service and 56 games Highlander #295 Sam Gilbert will be departing our shores to play for Connacht in Ireland at the end of this year’s NPC.
Sam made his debut for the club in 2020 and has been our go to man many times over the last six seasons having played every position in the backline apart from halfback.
We wish him all the very best in the next chapter of his rugby story.
He’s copped a bit of stick over the last couple years but he’s been a solid squad player since he joined and by all accounts a good person as well. Fell into the ‘Mr fix it’ role and I feel it messed with him a bit, especially for Otago.
Good luck to him over there, I feel he will suit that playing style well. All the best to him. Hope he does well.
Yeah they're not bad players, they just get the finger pointed at them more when things aren't going so well. As was said earlier, in sides going well, they're handy squad players.
We had one in the 2010s at the Blues, Michael Collins. Again, not a bad squad player, but as he was playing more and more and the side wasn't going well, he then copped more criticism as he wasn't what we needed at the time, but again, would have been a handy fill in for a better side back then.
That's who Gilbert kind of reminds me of in terms of how good he is.
We know Michael Collins very well. He was ours he's before his time in Auckland, before coming back for a stint at the Landers. Looked like he was running in mud
Oh yeah I know haha, I was more just comparing him to a guy like Sam Gilbert from a Blues point of view.
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I’m not Gilbert’s biggest fan, but I don’t think he is in the Collin’s level. Personally I think they did best when they had to use him at 10, as the landers have been a play off 9 team for a while anyway. They went away from it and I don’t think have looked as good since, while not replacing him with anyone actually better in the 10 shirt for their style of play.
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@gt12 Tengblad is a straight swap for Naeeta. I suspect if we loose Lowe next season then we recruit a single outside back, pickup a lock (Taylor Cahill, Josh Taulua Hugo Plummer could be worth a shot) and run a back in the WTG.
To me Taneila Filimome versus Tai Cribb showcases the difference in recruiting for WTG. One bloke is close to being super rugby ready. The other is barely NPC level. Good locks are hard to find and we need to prioritise on our forward pack.
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@Bovidae key difference though is there’s a few more close to SR rugby backs floating around while forwards tend to get snapped up quickly:
Like Manase Matalele, Matt Whaanga, Callum Harkin and Filimone all come to mind as decent uncontracted operators at the start of the season we could have pulled into our WTG if need be. Hugo Plummers the only lock I can think of countrywide who was SR ready but not contracted.
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Joesph needs to take the blame for his original squad selections at lock. Naeata was his choice. James Thompson, for example, wasn't retained by the Blues and could have been a solid squad member to provide depth at lock. He did well in his brief appearances. He is now in the Chiefs WTG instead. Players will probably move for a full contract but aren't going to swap one WTG contract for another as easily.
