Otago 2025
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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
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@frugby said in Otago 2025:
Tengblad has indeed been lost then... had some sauce last week that he was sticking around for this season but clearly that was referring to the Highlanders.
Nah. If you read the article you'd see he is mentioned. Should likely be listed as a development player. Reading between the lines.
"Lock was always going to be a position of concern now Fabian Holland is virtually certain to be a regular in the All Blacks and New Zealand under-20 giant Josh Tengblad is being developed carefully."
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@SouthernMann would hope Rique Miln is in as injury cover, he's a 10 but might be able to provide similar dynamic plays to Finn Hurley
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@Grooter said in Otago 2025:
@SouthernMann would hope Rique Miln is in as injury cover, he's a 10 but might be able to provide similar dynamic plays to Finn Hurley
I want to see Miln get some starts at 10. We all now know what Millar can do. Try to see what some of the other options are like.
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Not naming Tengblad in the full squad is just ridiculous. He can be ‘developed carefully’ in the full squad, he’s clearly up to NPC level. Unless there is some loophole they are utilizing where they can elevate him due to other injuries it doesn’t really make much sense. Same for Kyan Rangitutia. Get your young guys locked in.
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@frugby said in Otago 2025:
Tengblad has indeed been lost then... had some sauce last week that he was sticking around for this season but clearly that was referring to the Highlanders.
This was posted in another thread:
@Steven-Harris said in Auckland Rugby 2025:
NZ U20 lock Josh Tengbald has also signed with Auckland but for the 2027 season , will be linking up with the Highlanders for 2026
The Otago line about him "being developed carefully" is strange. If the above rumour is true they have two years to make use of him. Are they punishing him for moving at a later date?
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@Duluth said in Otago 2025:
@frugby said in Otago 2025:
Tengblad has indeed been lost then... had some sauce last week that he was sticking around for this season but clearly that was referring to the Highlanders.
This was posted in another thread:
@Steven-Harris said in Auckland Rugby 2025:
NZ U20 lock Josh Tengbald has also signed with Auckland but for the 2027 season , will be linking up with the Highlanders for 2026
The Otago line about him "being developed carefully" is strange. If the above rumour is true they have two years to make use of him. Are they punishing him for moving at a later date?
Probably a Highlanders directive of don't break our injury prone big man before the start of the Super season by thrashing him every week during the NPC
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Which could achieved with a normal contract. I know NPC isn't lucrative but I assume a dev contract will pay less
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@Duluth said in Otago 2025:
Which could achieved with a normal contract. I know NPC isn't lucrative but I assume a dev contract will pay less
My understanding is all national U20 players get NPC level contracts anyway.
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@SouthernMann said in Otago 2025:
@Duluth said in Otago 2025:
@frugby said in Otago 2025:
Tengblad has indeed been lost then... had some sauce last week that he was sticking around for this season but clearly that was referring to the Highlanders.
This was posted in another thread:
@Steven-Harris said in Auckland Rugby 2025:
NZ U20 lock Josh Tengbald has also signed with Auckland but for the 2027 season , will be linking up with the Highlanders for 2026
The Otago line about him "being developed carefully" is strange. If the above rumour is true they have two years to make use of him. Are they punishing him for moving at a later date?
Probably a Highlanders directive of don't break our injury prone big man before the start of the Super season by thrashing him every week during the NPC
That’s possible but I hope not. He needs NPC time before being thrown into Super rugby, especially in the tight 5. Would be counter productive in my opinion.
Like I said above, there has to be some loophole here or else it just doesn’t make sense at all…
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@Duluth said in Otago 2025:
@frugby said in Otago 2025:
Tengblad has indeed been lost then... had some sauce last week that he was sticking around for this season but clearly that was referring to the Highlanders.
This was posted in another thread:
@Steven-Harris said in Auckland Rugby 2025:
NZ U20 lock Josh Tengbald has also signed with Auckland but for the 2027 season , will be linking up with the Highlanders for 2026
The Otago line about him "being developed carefully" is strange. If the above rumour is true they have two years to make use of him. Are they punishing him for moving at a later date?
I think this rumour is definitely true, hence why everyone heard he was leaving (clearly he just isn’t leaving yet)
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@frugby said in Otago 2025:
@Duluth said in Otago 2025:
@frugby said in Otago 2025:
Tengblad has indeed been lost then... had some sauce last week that he was sticking around for this season but clearly that was referring to the Highlanders.
This was posted in another thread:
@Steven-Harris said in Auckland Rugby 2025:
NZ U20 lock Josh Tengbald has also signed with Auckland but for the 2027 season , will be linking up with the Highlanders for 2026
The Otago line about him "being developed carefully" is strange. If the above rumour is true they have two years to make use of him. Are they punishing him for moving at a later date?
I think this rumour is definitely true, hence why everyone heard he was leaving (clearly he just isn’t leaving yet)
Yeah. Well Steve Harris has been saying will depart in 2027
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This whole squad feels like talent mismanagement. What happened to Ale Aho - he's gone from hugely promising prospect to MIA. Reuben Palmer was on a national development contract and is nowhere to be seen. No Tengblad to pure madness which feels like the Hotham situation all over again. Quentin Holland presumably should have been in the frame. While No Rangitura feels just dumb, especially after the season he had last year. Stan Mclurie is another prospect who seems to have gone missing too.
It's hard to understand how Otago is SO bad to developing talent.
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@handa457 I think developing talent is fine. It’s how they are handling them once they reach certain levels.
Here’s hoping we see some injury cover updates and a lot of these guys added. I’ll ask around.
