Otago 2025
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@frugby said in Otago 2025:
@SouthernMann said in Otago 2025:
I tend to disagree. He is our best lock out of the playing group. With Tengblad on the up. We know what Tucker has to offer. The two most dominant players in club rugby are Casey and Toleafoa. Both 8s.
Apart from Tucker and Tengblad. We are then dropping down to Eric Peita, Boston Hunt, Reuben Palmer as well as potentially Quintin Holland, Mitch Tinnock and Christian MacEwan as locks.
Stodart long-term needs to be playing 8 though. Begs the question why we didn't re-sign Fischli. I'm expecting to see some plonker from outside Otago bought in at lock.
I expect we will fill out lock internally. Boston Hunt from all accounts was one of the best locks in Wellington, and got injured before the NPC last year. Christian MacEwan almost made the U20s. Then they will use Stodart and at a pinch Haig there as well.
Stodart has primarily played at lock for the Landers. That bench utility role is best best spot, game time wise at the moment.
As for Fischli. He is too similar to some of the other Super guys. Also a perfect replacement for Blair Ryall at Southland.
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@frugby said in Otago 2025:
@SouthernMann said in Otago 2025:
I'm expecting to see some plonker from outside Otago bought in at lock.Could be headed the same way with our midfield again after the news that Josh Whaanga has injured his knee. Doesn’t sound too great at the moment.
At the moment it’s looking like TUJ, Gilbert could be asked to play there and a Josh Timu recall. Expect Joe Cooke to be around the squad again too.
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@Landers92 said in Otago 2025:
@frugby said in Otago 2025:
@SouthernMann said in Otago 2025:
I'm expecting to see some plonker from outside Otago bought in at lock.Could be headed the same way with our midfield again after the news that Josh Whaanga has injured his knee. Doesn’t sound too great at the moment.
At the moment it’s looking like TUJ, Gilbert could be asked to play there and a Josh Timu recall. Expect Joe Cooke to be around the squad again too.
Hopefully Jake Te Hiwi is back from his injury troubles. Would be good to see him have a long run of consistent selections. Riley Lucas is probably the only guy running around in club footy that is worth a go. So we will probably have to go to the provincial wishing well. Southland on the other hand have six midfielders.
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@SouthernMann said in Otago 2025:
@Landers92 said in Otago 2025:
@frugby said in Otago 2025:
@SouthernMann said in Otago 2025:
I'm expecting to see some plonker from outside Otago bought in at lock.Could be headed the same way with our midfield again after the news that Josh Whaanga has injured his knee. Doesn’t sound too great at the moment.
At the moment it’s looking like TUJ, Gilbert could be asked to play there and a Josh Timu recall. Expect Joe Cooke to be around the squad again too.
Hopefully Jake Te Hiwi is back from his injury troubles. Would be good to see him have a long run of consistent selections. Riley Lucas is probably the only guy running around in club footy that is worth a go. So we will probably have to go to the provincial wishing well. Southland on the other hand have six midfielders.
Shit I completely forgot about Te Hiwi, knew I was forgetting someone. Yeah would like to see him get first shot at 12 if healthy. He is one that needs a big NPC campaign. Would help if he could stay healthy.
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@Landers92 said in Otago 2025:
@frugby said in Otago 2025:
@SouthernMann said in Otago 2025:
I'm expecting to see some plonker from outside Otago bought in at lock.Could be headed the same way with our midfield again after the news that Josh Whaanga has injured his knee. Doesn’t sound too great at the moment.
At the moment it’s looking like TUJ, Gilbert could be asked to play there and a Josh Timu recall. Expect Joe Cooke to be around the squad again too.
Whaanga as you say is MCL - but I've heard he is gone for the season. Timu trained as a tackle bag holder with the ABs, so expect him to get named. With Te Hiwi & probably TUJ that should leave us reasonably covered in the first instance. Gilbert will probably be used as an outside back?
Wonder if Creighton is coming back.
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@frugby said in Otago 2025:
@Landers92 said in Otago 2025:
@frugby said in Otago 2025:
@SouthernMann said in Otago 2025:
I'm expecting to see some plonker from outside Otago bought in at lock.Could be headed the same way with our midfield again after the news that Josh Whaanga has injured his knee. Doesn’t sound too great at the moment.
At the moment it’s looking like TUJ, Gilbert could be asked to play there and a Josh Timu recall. Expect Joe Cooke to be around the squad again too.
Whaanga as you say is MCL - but I've heard he is gone for the season. Timu trained as a tackle bag holder with the ABs, so expect him to get named. With Te Hiwi & probably TUJ that should leave us reasonably covered in the first instance. Gilbert will probably be used as an outside back?
Wonder if Creighton is coming back.
He is out for 8 weeks. The goal is he will be back by the middle of the season
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I'd treat Gilbert like a band-aid. Just go where the gaps are. Everywhere from 10 out. Spend most of the year in the 22 jersey
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@SouthernMann For right or for wrong, I'd expect him to be captain which means he basically has to start. I suppose they might use him at 12 as a glue kind of guy.
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@frugby said in Otago 2025:
@SouthernMann For right or for wrong, I'd expect him to be captain which means he basically has to start. I suppose they might use him at 12 as a glue kind of guy.
That would be massively disappointing from a succession planning perspective. He is leaving. He has guys in the positions he plays staying and available. Leadership group, fine. Captain, just stupid. There are a lack of options, but a roadblock is not the right one. Give it to either Haig or Stodart.
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Side will be announced on Tuesday at a breakfast.
‘Pretty stable’ NPC squad in the works
Otago rugby fans should not panic if they feel any sense of their NPC team being a little late to the party. Incoming coach Mark Brown has given...
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@SouthernMann can you copy the text? Thanks
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@macmanus said in Otago 2025:
@SouthernMann can you copy the text? Thanks
Nah. The forum has a policy of not copying text from behind paywalls. ODT subscriptions are only $17 a month. It helps ensure content keeps getting delivered.
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@SouthernMann sorry, I didn’t know.
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Paul Dwyer talking about three guys coming in from out of province. Two from Australia and one from Christchurch. Likely filling the obvious holes at lock, midfield and probably outside back.
Will there be more surprises?
And then there were four! As can happen in top-six playoffs the top three seeds, Taieri, Dunedin and Varsity, all got beaten to see Dunedin and...
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I believe the midfielder from Canterbury is Jae Broomfield. Was Canterbury B player of the year last season and can also cover wing. Very classy player with great turn of pace
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Now we know
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Otago squad.
Interesting newcomers in stable squad
A Fijian, an English Stag, a Magpie, a Dragon, an Eel and a Shark walk into a changing room. That is not some sort of obscure joke, but it is the...
Players unavailable:
Holland, Christian Lio-Willie and George Bower are with the All Blacks, and Finn Hurley (quad, 10-12 weeks), Oliver Haig (ankle, 4-6 weeks), Jona Nareki (knee, 4-6 weeks), Josh Whaanga (knee, 6-8 weeks) and Jake Te Hiwi (groin, 4-6 weeks) are sidelined.
NPC squad
Hookers: Liam Coltman (Utah Warriors), Henry Bell (Kaikorai), A-One Lolofie (Zingari-Richmond).
Props: George Bower (Harbour), Benjamin Lopas (Green Island), Saula Ma’u (Harbour), Abraham Pole (Harbour), Moana Takataka (Kaikorai), Rohan Wingham (Dunedin).
Locks: Fabian Holland (Dunedin), Joseva Tamani (Fijian Drua), Will Tucker (Kaikorai).
Loose forwards: Lucas Casey (Kaikorai), Max Ratcliffe (Dunedin), Will Stodart (University), Harry Taylor (Southern), Konrad Toleafoa (Southern), Christian Lio-Willie (Kaikorai), Oliver Haig (Green Island).
Halfbacks: Nathan Hastie (Harbour), Dylan Pledger (Kaikorai), Bob Martin (Taieri).
First five: Cameron Millar (Taieri).
Midfield backs: Sam Gilbert (Green Island), Jake Te Hiwi (Green Island), Josh Timu (Southern), Thomas Umaga-Jensen (University), Josh Whaanga (Taieri).
Outside backs: Jeremiah Asi (University), Finn Hurley (Green Island), Jona Nareki (Alhambra-Union), Charlie Powell (Manly Marlins).
With all the injured players. There wil be several listed as cover/development players
