Highlanders 2025
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
Jeez we are going to need to get some loosies to come and give us a bit of a hand. May be getting Blair Ryall back from Japan. No Renton, Naeata likely goone too as he seems well and truly unsighted now
I don't think Renton is permanently on the naughty step, and would suggest him heading to Australia is a bit of an olive branch.
@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
Jeez we are going to need to get some loosies to come and give us a bit of a hand. May be getting Blair Ryall back from Japan. No Renton, Naeata likely goone too as he seems well and truly unsighted now
I don't think Renton is permanently on the naughty step, and would suggest him heading to Australia is a bit of an olive branch.
So our loosies at the moment who Joseph will play are Withy, Lasaqa, Howden, Loft and Stodart. That's it. Michaels is back in Dunedin still, and seems like he will only play for Kaikorai this year.
Renton is still carrying an injury as I understand… I guess the question is whether he’d be able to play through it might be another question.
Michaels is clearly not rated.
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@frugby I wonder if he even makes the third year of his contract.
They don’t seem to view him as a development project like Whaanga or Wingham. Wonder if they could pay him out and fill the slot with another player? Malachi Wrampling - Alec, Fletcher Anderson or Taylor Cahill are all off contract players stuck behind all blacks who are unlikely to get much game time. Picking up two of those three could be a good shout.
Cahill is a lock, but I feel like when we do loose Dunshea in a season or two we will need the experience of four dedicated locks (Holland, Cahill, Tengblad and Stodart.)
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Naeata is gone. He will be replaced by Tengblad. Here's hoping he has an injury free run in the NPC to show how he goes in open grade.
Dunshea will be 30 this year, and at the end of his two year contract. Must be 50/50 whether he stays or chases cash. We don't tend to see non All Blacks stay long after 30.
Michaels just hasn't clicked. Did well to secure a three year gig. Must be tough for him as well, just being a professional club player. Even this year he has been overtaken by Loft and Lasaqa.
Just the risk of picking players on potential.
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@handa457 said in Highlanders 2025:
@frugby I wonder if he even makes the third year of his contract.
They don’t seem to view him as a development project like Whaanga or Wingham. Wonder if they could pay him out and fill the slot with another player? Malachi Wrampling - Alec, Fletcher Anderson or Taylor Cahill are all off contract players stuck behind all blacks who are unlikely to get much game time. Picking up two of those three could be a good shout.
Cahill is a lock, but I feel like when we do loose Dunshea in a season or two we will need the experience of four dedicated locks (Holland, Cahill, Tengblad and Stodart.)
Fletcher Anderson is signed until 2027
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@Crazy-Horse said in Highlanders 2025:
@Bovidae said in Highlanders 2025:
If Tangitau has indicated he wants to return to Auckland before his contract expires, I think JJ wouldn't hesitate to drop him, and he'd be playing club rugby for the rest of the SR season.
I absolutely hope JJ would not be that petty. Not only would it be cutting off his nose to spite his face, it is also fucking with the career of a young player.
not really fucking with a young player if that player has already secured a deal to go back to the blues
easing in someone different for the rest of the season would be the responsible thing to do for the team long term
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Good to see Fakatava removed from the injury list. Hopefully he gets some minutes in club footy this weekend and is back in the 23 for the Drua next week.
Jonah Lowe also removed from the list.
Injury update:
Oliver Haig (Foot / 1-2 weeks )
Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens (Neck / 1-2 weeks)
Finn Hurley (Quad / TBC)
Nikora Broughton (Rib Injury/ 1-2 weeks)
Hugh Renton (Groin /1-2 weeks) -
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@Canes4life said in Highlanders 2025:
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
Jonah Lowe also removed from the list.
Game changer.
Scored two tries in his return to rugby for Zingari last weekend. Impact!
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@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
Good to see Fakatava removed from the injury list. Hopefully he gets some minutes in club footy this weekend and is back in the 23 for the Drua next week.
Jonah Lowe also removed from the list.
Injury update:
Oliver Haig (Foot / 1-2 weeks )
Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens (Neck / 1-2 weeks)
Finn Hurley (Quad / TBC)
Nikora Broughton (Rib Injury/ 1-2 weeks)
Hugh Renton (Groin /1-2 weeks)I guess the reverse of this is that he is fit, but wasn’t deemed important enough to be flown to Australia… JRK listed as injured, but he is down to play club rugby this weekend, Haig may be the same (though suspect he is pushing it)
I’d wager Fakatava was fit last week too, I think there is more to this.
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@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
Good to see Fakatava removed from the injury list. Hopefully he gets some minutes in club footy this weekend and is back in the 23 for the Drua next week.
Jonah Lowe also removed from the list.
Injury update:
Oliver Haig (Foot / 1-2 weeks )
Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens (Neck / 1-2 weeks)
Finn Hurley (Quad / TBC)
Nikora Broughton (Rib Injury/ 1-2 weeks)
Hugh Renton (Groin /1-2 weeks)I guess the reverse of this is that he is fit, but wasn’t deemed important enough to be flown to Australia… JRK listed as injured, but he is down to play club rugby this weekend, Haig may be the same (though suspect he is pushing it)
I’d wager Fakatava was fit last week too, I think there is more to this.
On Fakatava
I'd say there are three halfbacks locked in for next year and they are Hastie, Lennox and Pledger. Or even Lennox isn't quite over the line yet, and they getting him gametime. Either way, they don't see the massive value add of rushing Fakatava back in..
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Any player coming off a hamstring tear isn’t something you rush back. Hastie has been doing well and they obviously feel comfortable enough with Lennox.
Giving Fakatava that extra week is fine, if ready he will play 40mins of club footy and be back in the mix next week. Why fly him all the way over to Perth when he isn’t 100% ready for a super rugby level game…
I don’t think there’s more to it at all.
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@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
Any player coming off a hamstring tear isn’t something you rush back. Hastie has been doing well and they obviously feel comfortable enough with Lennox.
Giving Fakatava that extra week is fine, if ready he will play 40mins of club footy and be back in the mix next week. Why fly him all the way over to Perth when he isn’t 100% ready for a super rugby level game…
I don’t think there’s more to it at all.
My point is, I heard he was esentially fit the week of the Hurricanes game (trained all week), then was pulled last minute. He then trained all week the week of the Reds game (can be seen in the photos), he then didn't travel, and is now fit... that injury list relates to readiness for Super Rugby, because as I say, JRK (Last I heard) is down to play club rugby this week, and has been for a few weeks.
I think this is purely a case, where Lennox is being preferred...
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@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
that injury list relates to readiness for Super Rugby, because as I say, JRK (Last I heard) is down to play club rugby this week, and has been for a few weeks.I think this is purely a case, where Lennox is being preferred...
If that’s the case then all you need to do is refer to last weeks injury report the Highlanders put out…
‘Folau Fakatava (Hamstring / 1-2 weeks)’
So if the report is super rugby readiness as you say, then he was going to be ready for super this week or next. Why fly someone and push the return when you also have to fly them 10+ hours? Its all pretty straight forward, no need to look deeper into something that really isn’t there just for the sake of it imo.
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@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
that injury list relates to readiness for Super Rugby, because as I say, JRK (Last I heard) is down to play club rugby this week, and has been for a few weeks.I think this is purely a case, where Lennox is being preferred...
If that’s the case then all you need to do is refer to last weeks injury report the Highlanders put out…
‘Folau Fakatava (Hamstring / 1-2 weeks)’
So if the report is super rugby readiness as you say, then he was going to be ready for super this week or next. Why fly someone and push the return when you also have to fly them 10+ hours? Its all pretty straight forward, no need to look deeper into something that really isn’t there just for the sake of it imo.
If they were happy with him they would have flown him over because this is effectively a must win game. The fact that he hasn't been flown over to me, tells you how they are seeing things at the moment... and his last game? One of his best for the Highlanders against the Blues. If he was fit, and they were happy with him, why wouldn't you fly him over? I like Lennox, but he has 15 minutes of Super Rugby experience. On ability, I'd be surprised if they don't think Fakatava was better.
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@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
If they were happy with him they would have flown him over because this is effectively a must win game. The fact that he hasn't been flown over to me, tells you how they are seeing things at the moment... and his last game? One of his best for the Highlanders against the Blues. If he was fit, and they were happy with him, why wouldn't you fly him over? I like Lennox, but he has 15 minutes of Super Rugby experience. On ability, I'd be surprised if they don't think Fakatava was better.
Well they obviously aren’t happy with how the fitness is post hamstring injury. It isn’t rocket science? Because as you stated - that injury list relates to readiness for Super Rugby. Last week he was 1-2 weeks away. I would expect to see him next week, if not, then it could be a cause for concern.
