@Higgins said in Wellington Lions 2024:
@Canes4life Who is lining up to be the next signing - Eric Sione?
Tanner Vili. Inside back cover.
@Higgins said in Wellington Lions 2024:
@Canes4life Who is lining up to be the next signing - Eric Sione?
Tanner Vili. Inside back cover.
@KiwiInLondon said in Otago 2024:
I’ve been told that AF at 10 was atrocious, Hastie was average, Otago in general played like a bunch of ball hogs with no structure, and the kicking from hand was also awful. Sounds about right or harsh?
Hastie and Faleafaga both played like they hadn't had a run in around two months. Hastie's last game was in May, and Faleafaga's early June. Millar looked average too. He hasn't played since the Highlanders got knocked. Arscott was untidy. He's only had 20 minutes since the Highlanders finished. Byron Smith, has been playing regular rugby, was the best 10 today. He also has the most to prove. Out of the Super guys, Nareki and Withy were the only two who properly stood out. Most looked short of a gallop.
Byron Smith looked the best of the 10s on display.
We looked at our best when we had wingers playing on the wing, instead of a fullback and a centre with Palmer and Whaanga.
Lucas Casey looked top draw at seven. Will be interesting to see the battle between him and Taylor for that gig.
Agree with @Landers92 Aho looked great.
Moana Takataka looks an absolute beast of a man. Won a couple of scrum penalties too.
Neither Arscott or Hastie gave me much confidence.
Gilbert continues to just be an ok rugby player. Someone who finishes, but not a lot else.
For Southland. Their lineout was terrible after Taylor went off.
That former Auckland 12 was an absolute powerhouse.
Josh Augistine looked good for an 18-year-old.
Withy, outstanding.
Mackenzie Palmer is a real rocks and diamonds player. Probably not someone I want to see regularly playing.
@Landers92 said in Otago 2024:
19-14 to Southland at halftime. Southland the much better team in that first half.
Otago playing very 1 dimensional trying to play everything through the forwards(A Tom Donnelly special) while Southland are trying to get it into the wide channels and getting breaks and half breaks from offloads. Very impressive.
Couple stand outs so far. Byron Smith at 10 for Southland looks to be a good athlete and had a good half. For Otago, Ale Aho is a big unit who gets around the park well with a great skill set who I thought looked solid. One to watch.
Wholesale changes in the second half, should be an interesting half.
Very disappointed with the first half. We should run away with this in the second half seeing the team Southland have out there. Backs looking sharp this time around. Kyan Rangitutia doing a couple of good things on both attack and D. Stoked to see Byron Smith look good. I hope there is the potential for him to be a Landers option.
@NateHill74 said in Otago 2024:
That's alright. I'm in polytech and the team always train outside our classes. Looks like Haig at 6 at the moment. Haven't seen too much else. Finn Hurley, Will Tucker were running up and down the field jogging like a rehab. Maybe just a rest but keeping them moving. Mackenzie is a big surprise considering he's had many options to make the team but has always not been comitted enough to play. Pledg and A-One will most likely have a rest after 20s then come back into things. Train with the otago team. Pledg will then go with 19s for a bit too.
Sounds like Hurley may have got a knock in the final if he is paired up with Tucker. I'm really looking forward to Haig and Holland this NPC. Both have now been in professional environments for a while now. I'm expecting them to dominate now.
@Landers92 said in Hurricanes 2025:
@Bovidae said in Hurricanes 2025:
Check out the right winger. He returns.
Was excellent for Otago and actually wondered why Highlanders didn’t take a solid look. Sounds more like off field stuff and a injury here and there has gotten in his way.
I'm pretty sure he played rugby league in Auckland last year. Saw an article somewhere that said only being a partially contracted player in Dunedin was difficult financially, and that's why he returned to Auckland. Probably at that level where he was a very competent NPC winger. Just not Super quality.
We are just in a time in the cycle where there are very few decent 10s around, let alone available. The Landers have kids. The Crusaders are relying on NZ Rugby making 10 staff redundant to pay for Richie Mo'unga. Yuu guys have Cameron, who is serviceable. The Chiefs have McKenzie, and Jacomb. The Blues are hoarding with their guys. This is a problem going right down to the NPC too, with two or three Australians coming over and potentially filling the jersey. It is a big problem for NZ Rugby as well as for individual Super franchises.
@NateHill74 said in Otago 2024:
Liam Coltman is back, he's been in Dunedin for a while now. Jake Te Hiwi got a wrist injury in the Landers quarter and is still a couple of weeks away from returning. Fingers crossed ready for first week. Also that Levi Harmon is the same. And yeah broken knee 2021 final in Dunedin, was going to make the Otago team if it weren't for that injury. moon boot all of 2022. First season back, scored 2 tries in final, dominated in the midfield for GI this year. So looking forward to seeing him in the provincial stage again
Thanks @NateHill74 your local insights are really good. I'm interested to see what Harmon can do. Must have been very highly rated before he had all his injuries. I wonder how they are planning to use Sanders? Surely he must be behind Haig, Stodart and Lio-Willie. Or will they look to use Stodart or Haig as temp locks. Interested to see Palmer get a run on the wing. Not a young man anymore, but does some great things for Southern though. Interesting all the national schools reps from last year are in the training group, even though some barely got out of Colts in the club season. I really so hope we see a bit of Pledger this season. While he has played a lot of top rugby. He hasn't played a lot of open grade rugby.
@Landers92 said in Otago 2024:
@SouthernMann Yeah one of the first things I noticed was Whaanga on the wing, hopefully it’s just for a half or this game so coaches can see more of Harmon at 13. If Whaanga plays the next pre season game on the wing then I’ll be slightly concerned. I also noticed there was no Te Hiwi named, whether that’s just a test or pre cautionary I’m not sure.
I’ll be watching Hastie closely this season, hasn’t been able to get a good run with injury and with the halfback spots ramping up someone is going to have to take that step up.
I haven’t seen or heard anything around Coltman yet, he isn’t the most active when it comes to social media attention either so it’s anyone’s guess whether he’s back yet or not. You would think he was.
> All in all it’s good to see a good mix but next weeks game will be one of more significance you would think.
That's the canterbury pre-season game?
Hastie is the most secure out of the three Highlanders, I believe. His contract still has two more years to run. Fakatava's runs out at the end of next season. Arscott's was to the end of this year. But must have been rolled over.
Asi apparently got injured in the club semi, same with Umaga-Jensen. Not sure on the severity, just read they went off before halftime. With Te Hiwi, I understand from one of the ODT videos he is carrying an injury as well.
I'd expect to see a fair bit of chopping and changing, especially in the backs.
@Landers92 said in Otago 2024:
Otago team named to play its first pre season game against Southland on Friday.
Some interesting selections, looking forward to seeing the squad have its first run and build. Nice to see some boys rewarded for strong club seasons along with plenty of young guys getting an early chance.
Southlands Facebook page will be streaming this I’m pretty sure.
Seems an interesting mix between the main squad and the dirt trackers. The only guy missing from the club final is Hurley. Interesting Whaanga has been picked on the wing, while a guy outside of the squad is at centre. Geoege Bower will make a big difference this season. Is Liam Coltman even back in the country yet?
@Higgins said in Otago 2024:
@Landers92 Is that centre the same Levi Harmon that came from Bush to play for Poneke about eight or nine years ago? Fronted for my Axemen as well but got a bad injury pre-season that put him out for the whole year. Think he buggered off back to Poneke the next season before disappearing somewhere, at least I don't recall hearing his name mentioned in Wellington club rugby for a fair few years now.
I'm pretty sure it is. Seems like a player who had all the ability, but has just been wrecked with injuries. He scored a try in the club final on the weekend. In the report it was noted he suffered a major injury in the 2021 final. Took him a good couple of years to come back. Looks like a classic 'what if' kind of player.
@Landers92 said in Otago 2024:
Any word on this Australian winger that was thrown around in here a few weeks back? Not announced in the squad or as development/injury cover…
Potentially Dwyer's negative feedback may have knocked it on the head.
Hurricanes say the roster is oretty much full for next year, and are close to signing a 10 to replace Morgan. https://www.thepost.co.nz/sport/350350577/hurricanes-factor-ardie-saveas-second-sabbatical-clause-exit-moana-pasifika
@cgrant said in Highlanders 2025:
Reuben Palmer is "only" 1.97 m tall but he is very beefy. He could make a good combo with Holland.
Considering Haig and Stodart, who are potentially your 6&8 are 196 and 195. Another out and out 2M lock may not be needed. 4,5,6 and 8 will all be genuine lineout options. Tengblad at 2.04M is still a great long-term option.
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@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
This whole Pledger thing has me thinking about contract renewals because for the first time in a while we have loads of talent actually worth keeping hold of. All very well bringing in new guys, but hard to achieve anything if they don't stick around.
I'd like to see extensions for Holland, Dunshea, Fakatava, Tele'a, JRK, Nareki and Tavatavanawai all secured before we start next season. Reckon the first two will be easy, and JRK at his age should be relatively straight forward too. The others are a bit more complex.
Fakatava's future will depend on how the rest of this year goes... with the rate ABs halfbacks are dropping, he might just get a chance, and if he grasps it, then obviously he is back in the frame and will want to stay. This is however unlikely, and at this stage I expect him to leave at the end of next season as one of the ultimate what if players.
Tele'a is off-contract, so this is a real priority... reckon this is probably a case of no news is good news, because most of the players leaving have their futures sorted by now, so I'd assume they've signed him. Hopefully announced soon.
Nareki and Tavatavanawai will both be 27 when next season starts, so sort of that age for wingers... not sure they'll be in any rush with Tavatavanawai particularly, though he isn't heavily reliant on pace so he might age okay... he himself may want to head off-shore though. Nareki I think has all the ball-playing skills to suggest he could move into centre as he ages, so would be really keen to see him re-signed.
I'd fully expect one of the wingers to go, if not both. Tavatavanawai has said in a recent article he will re-evaluate after next season. Nareki I reckon will be gone after next year. I reckon Caleb Tangitau is the best winger we have signed since we nabbed Naholo from the Blues. I fully expect he will be the first winger written down by the end of the season. If we lose them both we might see a year with J Whaanga or Hurley as a winger while we wait for Kiseki Fifita, Kyan Rangitutia or Josh Augistine to get up to speed.
WIth halfback, I don't care which one of Arscott ot Fakatava leaves at the end of next year. One just has to for Pledger to come in.
Dunshea needs to be kept around for another couple of years. Josh Tengblad seems like a long-termer to play alongside Holland. He is massive at 2.04M. Will be a couple of years away. Should be getting to play provincial rugby next year. We need Dunshea to be around until Tengblad is ready. Aho is a possibility and so is big Reuben Palmer. Neither of which are over 2M though.
Let's just keep Tele'a on a year by year basis. Midfield is a big problem for us.
@Bovidae said in Hurricanes 2025:
@Canes4life said in Hurricanes 2025:
How much cash would it open up? We never did anything when Beaudy left.
If Ardie is on the top tier SR contract that is $195,000 (minimum = $75,000). The difference could be used to increase other player's salaries.
Is the minimum that low? Wow that is shithouse.
@Landers92 Pledger is in the Otago U19s. I'd expect he will spend a fair bit of time with the main squad though.
Green Island bet a bumbling Dunedin in the Dunedin Club Final.