Highlanders 2025
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NZ Rugby is paying Fakatava's contract. He is a highly very competent halfback. Who has played good rugby.
We aren't losing out on money re-signing Folau.
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
NZ Rugby is paying Fakatava's contract. He is a highly very competent halfback. Who has played good rugby.
We aren't losing out on money re-signing Folau.
NZR pay the contract but the Highlanders will have negotiated the value. In theory all five teams have the same budget, with All Blacks getting top ups from NZR. So if they Highlanders are giving Fakatava the max Super contract possible (200ish a few years back, not sure what it is now), they are hitting their own player budget.
Not saying it's not worth it, just my understanding differs on how players are paid.
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
NZ Rugby is paying Fakatava's contract. He is a highly very competent halfback. Who has played good rugby.
We aren't losing out on money re-signing Folau.
NZR pay the contract but the Highlanders will have negotiated the value. In theory all five teams have the same budget, with All Blacks getting top ups from NZR. So if they Highlanders are giving Fakatava the max Super contract possible (200ish a few years back, not sure what it is now), they are hitting their own player budget.
Not saying it's not worth it, just my understanding differs on how players are paid.
@Mr-Fish I’d read it the same way you do
But it sounds to me like they’ve essentially offered him a Black Jersey and therefore the higher earnings, pay and contract that come with it.
Wasn’t it Julian Savea that got offered a massive contract in 2016, only to be dropped the following year from the All Blacks? He still got all that pay despite being dropped didn’t he?
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@Mr-Fish I’d read it the same way you do
But it sounds to me like they’ve essentially offered him a Black Jersey and therefore the higher earnings, pay and contract that come with it.
Wasn’t it Julian Savea that got offered a massive contract in 2016, only to be dropped the following year from the All Blacks? He still got all that pay despite being dropped didn’t he?
@handa457 said in Highlanders 2025:
@Mr-Fish I’d read it the same way you do
But it sounds to me like they’ve essentially offered him a Black Jersey and therefore the higher earnings, pay and contract that come with it.
Wasn’t it Julian Savea that got offered a massive contract in 2016, only to be dropped the following year from the All Blacks? He still got all that pay despite being dropped didn’t he?
NZR can agree to a deal where they top up the pay of non All Blacks (although I would imagine it's very rare, and would be surprised if they had done it in this instance) but that doesn't force the Highlanders to offer him the max Super salary.
Yes re Savea, but obviously they expected him to play a large part in the All Blacks going forward at that stage. Same thing happened with So'oalo back in 2008ish. There's always the risk a player suddenly deteriorates in form/importance. He'd still have earned considerably more if he'd actually been selected in the All Blacks given there's an assembly/match fee.
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Will Jamie Joseph ever take accountability for their current performances?
He spends most of this interview going woe is me, not a great look.
@darylmitchell said in Highlanders 2025:
Will Jamie Joseph ever take accountability for their current performances?
He spends most of this interview going woe is me, not a great look.
Thanks for the share, that was a great interview from Wheels.
Jamie touches on a few interesting things there, I don’t take any of that as ‘woe is me’. Think they are all fair, honest and valid points.
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@SBW1 said in Highlanders 2025:
Are the Highlanders still a chance at making the 6?
No chance. Canes away, Crusaders away, Chiefs home. Don’t think they’ll win any of them the way they’ve been playing and can’t see them turning it around tbh.
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@SBW1 said in Highlanders 2025:
Are the Highlanders still a chance at making the 6?
No chance. Canes away, Crusaders away, Chiefs home. Don’t think they’ll win any of them the way they’ve been playing and can’t see them turning it around tbh.
@Canes4life said in Highlanders 2025:
@SBW1 said in Highlanders 2025:
Are the Highlanders still a chance at making the 6?
No chance. Canes away, Crusaders away, Chiefs home. Don’t think they’ll win any of them the way they’ve been playing and can’t see them turning it around tbh.
Next you'll be saying Springer can't be described as mildly better than Jonah Lowe.
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@darylmitchell said in Highlanders 2025:
Will Jamie Joseph ever take accountability for their current performances?
He spends most of this interview going woe is me, not a great look.
Thanks for the share, that was a great interview from Wheels.
Jamie touches on a few interesting things there, I don’t take any of that as ‘woe is me’. Think they are all fair, honest and valid points.
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
@darylmitchell said in Highlanders 2025:
Will Jamie Joseph ever take accountability for their current performances?
He spends most of this interview going woe is me, not a great look.
Thanks for the share, that was a great interview from Wheels.
Jamie touches on a few interesting things there, I don’t take any of that as ‘woe is me’. Think they are all fair, honest and valid points.
I usually can't stand Wheeler, but he does ok in these interviews. I actually didn'tmind watching that.
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Word on the street, and a fairly reliable word at that, is that the environment in the Highlanders squad is getting increasingly toxic. A large part of the squad are getting fed up with not getting coached properly and being asked to execute a game plan that they know doesn't work. It's resulted in a complete loss of belief in the camp.
There is also apparently a big issue with some players about something that went down between De Groot and Renton that ended up in Renton getting the captaincy. Not many players respect him because of it and the leadership group is fractured. The assistant coaches are apparently just a bunch of yes men and don't add anything of significance and the only real coaching they've received is when Tony Brown has dropped in for a few sessions.
Now you can go 'oh this is him being negative again etc etc' but this is pretty bloody reliable and things seem to be falling apart.
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Word on the street, and a fairly reliable word at that, is that the environment in the Highlanders squad is getting increasingly toxic. A large part of the squad are getting fed up with not getting coached properly and being asked to execute a game plan that they know doesn't work. It's resulted in a complete loss of belief in the camp.
There is also apparently a big issue with some players about something that went down between De Groot and Renton that ended up in Renton getting the captaincy. Not many players respect him because of it and the leadership group is fractured. The assistant coaches are apparently just a bunch of yes men and don't add anything of significance and the only real coaching they've received is when Tony Brown has dropped in for a few sessions.
Now you can go 'oh this is him being negative again etc etc' but this is pretty bloody reliable and things seem to be falling apart.
@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders 2025:
Word on the street, and a fairly reliable word at that, is that the environment in the Highlanders squad is getting increasingly toxic. A large part of the squad are getting fed up with not getting coached properly and being asked to execute a game plan that they know doesn't work. It's resulted in a complete loss of belief in the camp.
There is also apparently a big issue with some players about something that went down between De Groot and Renton that ended up in Renton getting the captaincy. Not many players respect him because of it and the leadership group is fractured. The assistant coaches are apparently just a bunch of yes men and don't add anything of significance and the only real coaching they've received is when Tony Brown has dropped in for a few sessions.
Now you can go 'oh this is him being negative again etc etc' but this is pretty bloody reliable and things seem to be falling apart.
That could get ugly then if players want out at the end of the year.
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Word on the street, and a fairly reliable word at that, is that the environment in the Highlanders squad is getting increasingly toxic. A large part of the squad are getting fed up with not getting coached properly and being asked to execute a game plan that they know doesn't work. It's resulted in a complete loss of belief in the camp.
There is also apparently a big issue with some players about something that went down between De Groot and Renton that ended up in Renton getting the captaincy. Not many players respect him because of it and the leadership group is fractured. The assistant coaches are apparently just a bunch of yes men and don't add anything of significance and the only real coaching they've received is when Tony Brown has dropped in for a few sessions.
Now you can go 'oh this is him being negative again etc etc' but this is pretty bloody reliable and things seem to be falling apart.
@KiwiInLondon if you wanted to portray a more negative persona, you could change to KiwiNotInDunedin.
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Word on the street, and a fairly reliable word at that, is that the environment in the Highlanders squad is getting increasingly toxic. A large part of the squad are getting fed up with not getting coached properly and being asked to execute a game plan that they know doesn't work. It's resulted in a complete loss of belief in the camp.
There is also apparently a big issue with some players about something that went down between De Groot and Renton that ended up in Renton getting the captaincy. Not many players respect him because of it and the leadership group is fractured. The assistant coaches are apparently just a bunch of yes men and don't add anything of significance and the only real coaching they've received is when Tony Brown has dropped in for a few sessions.
Now you can go 'oh this is him being negative again etc etc' but this is pretty bloody reliable and things seem to be falling apart.
@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders 2025:
Word on the street, and a fairly reliable word at that, is that the environment in the Highlanders squad is getting increasingly toxic. A large part of the squad are getting fed up with not getting coached properly and being asked to execute a game plan that they know doesn't work. It's resulted in a complete loss of belief in the camp.
There is also apparently a big issue with some players about something that went down between De Groot and Renton that ended up in Renton getting the captaincy. Not many players respect him because of it and the leadership group is fractured. The assistant coaches are apparently just a bunch of yes men and don't add anything of significance and the only real coaching they've received is when Tony Brown has dropped in for a few sessions.
Now you can go 'oh this is him being negative again etc etc' but this is pretty bloody reliable and things seem to be falling apart.
There was a scrap between Renton and De Groot, but they kissed and made up. I have heard some players have been a little confused around selection communication, but outside of that it is still a united camp.
As for the assistant coaches being yes men, that's hearsay if I have ever heard it. I think Corey Brown just sucks at his job, but that is hardly new news.
The likes of Fakatava, and JRK (Supposedly) wouldn't re-sign if what you are saying is true.
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@KiwiInLondon if you wanted to portray a more negative persona, you could change to KiwiNotInDunedin.
@Bones said in Highlanders 2025:
@KiwiInLondon if you wanted to portray a more negative persona, you could change to KiwiNotInDunedin.
Word on the street (from a reliable source).
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@Bones said in Highlanders 2025:
@KiwiInLondon if you wanted to portray a more negative persona, you could change to KiwiNotInDunedin.
Word on the street (from a reliable source).
@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
@Bones said in Highlanders 2025:
@KiwiInLondon if you wanted to portray a more negative persona, you could change to KiwiNotInDunedin.
Word on the street (from a reliable source).
Baldwin.
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im not going to completely buy in to the "word on the street"....but i dont think we're playing like a united team....part of that do ring true with what im seeing out on the pitch....and if they are united happy family...then why the poor results
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im not going to completely buy in to the "word on the street"....but i dont think we're playing like a united team....part of that do ring true with what im seeing out on the pitch....and if they are united happy family...then why the poor results
@Kiwiwomble could part of this be the same playing out as in 2013? JJ goes in one direction and the team fractures and splits under him as some buy into the plan early on - and others feel resentment over split loyalties and frustration at his style?
It's gotta be difficult seeing five or six young guys who were last season seen as key to the future of the team being shifted to the side (Falefaga, Wingham, Michaels) and then guys you're loyal too (Bell, Gilbert, Millar, Hastie, Te Hiwi) benched or not getting game as much time (regardless if merited or not).
Key thing in 2013 though was the exceptional leadership of Nasi Manu who went to JJ and challenged him that things needed to change - and he listened. Ben Smith & Nasi are both key parts of the highlanders camp now and players won't be unaware of the story.
Key thing will be if they care enough to go to him and find middle ground.
