Highlanders 2026
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@Grooter said in Highlanders 2026:
@frugby I've heard Joe Wheeler who does some work as a player agent is trying to get Ta$man & NZ 20s centre Cooper Roberts down but seems strange Roberts only has the same amount of npc experience as tayne harvey for example
Watching Ta$man play today, I hope Joey is doing miracles with Roberts down south. He reads the game better than any midfielder available in NZ. He threw a 20m skipout pass to put Kyren Taumoefolau away and defensively is solid.
With fast creative wingers. Roberts looks the perfect centre to get the best out of them.
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2026:
@Grooter said in Highlanders 2026:
@frugby I've heard Joe Wheeler who does some work as a player agent is trying to get Ta$man & NZ 20s centre Cooper Roberts down but seems strange Roberts only has the same amount of npc experience as tayne harvey for example
Watching Ta$man play today, I hope Joey is doing miracles with Roberts down south. He reads the game better than any midfielder available in NZ. He threw a 20m skipout pass to put Kyren Taumoefolau away and defensively is solid.
With fast creative wingers. Roberts looks the perfect centre to get the best out of them.
Roberts has a Crusaders contract I am not sure if is a full or WTG.
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@Chris said in Highlanders 2026:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2026:
@Grooter said in Highlanders 2026:
@frugby I've heard Joe Wheeler who does some work as a player agent is trying to get Ta$man & NZ 20s centre Cooper Roberts down but seems strange Roberts only has the same amount of npc experience as tayne harvey for example
Watching Ta$man play today, I hope Joey is doing miracles with Roberts down south. He reads the game better than any midfielder available in NZ. He threw a 20m skipout pass to put Kyren Taumoefolau away and defensively is solid.
With fast creative wingers. Roberts looks the perfect centre to get the best out of them.
Roberts has a Crusaders contract I am not sure if is a full or WTG.
That's a shame. He seems like he has all the skills to make the jump up.to Super reasonably quickly. Will be unlikely to do that at the Crusaders with all the talent there.
He is their kid though.
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@Chris considering the frequency he has appeared on the socials. I'd expect he will be involved again next year.
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@SouthernMann He made a post a few months ago thanking the highlanders (and seemingly saying farewell) but has taken it down. So could be right there
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@handa457 said in Highlanders 2026:
@SouthernMann He made a post a few months ago thanking the highlanders (and seemingly saying farewell) but has taken it down. So could be right there
He deserves it. Has been very good during the NPC.
The social pics are a hard one to judge. Guys like Loft and DLB I thought would be 50/50 players have appeared.
Whereas Mike Manson who is now known not to be returning hasn't been seen at all.
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@Chris said in Highlanders 2026:
@handa457 said in Highlanders 2026:
@Chris just clarifying is that a statement (that he is) or a question?
Heard he is at the Highlanders next year but not a regular source,
Wondering if anyone else has heard the same.Will mean a lot of outside backs.
Filimone, Nareki, Tito-Harris, Tangitau, Solomon, Hurley, Lowe and JRK.
Unless Filimone returns to the WTG or Tito-Harris starts there.
Or, having lost out on Jacomb Hurley/Solomon become our third 10.
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This is the rough squad I have so far with a few 50/50 positions and guesswork. But we're not terrible at 10 depth...just very inexperienced.
- Rohan Wingham / Daniel Lienert Brown / ....someone else?
- Ethan De Groot
- Saula Ma’au
- Sefo Kautaui
- Angus Taavo
- Henry Bell
- Soanne Vienna
- Jack Taylor
- Fabian Holland
- Thomas Lavinini
- Mitchell Dunshea
- Hugh Renton / Ale Aho
- Will Stodart
- Oli Haig
- TK Howden
- Sean Withy
- Veveni Lasanga
- Hayden Michaels / Lucas Casey
- Nikora Broughton
- Folau Fakatava
- Dylan Pledger
- Adam Lennox
- Taine Robinson
- Cam Millar
- Finn Hurley
- TUJ / Reesjan Pasetoa
- Jake Te Hiwi
- Tanelea Telea
- Timcoi T
- Jonah Lowe
- Josh Whaanga
- Jona Nareki
- Jacob Kneepkens
- Xavier Tito Harris
- Caleb Tangitau
- Stanley Solomon
- Tanelea Filimone
WTG / Academy
- Josh Tengblad
- Nic Shear
- Mika Muliania
- Tayne Hervey
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@handa457 it is pretty similar to the list I'm running.
I hope we keep Wingham. He has really impressed me filling in for Ma'u during the NPC. Another good test for him on Friday.
I'm not overly keen on Aho. He is a really big boy for Super level. Especially considering the pace we want to play at.
With the depth at 10. There are plenty of players who can do it. Only one starts for his province. With none being good enough to even sit on the bench of any of the other NZ teams at full strength. We will essentially have a an NPC levelish 10 (Cam Millar), two fullbacks (Robinson and Hurley) and a winger (Solomon). All backed up by a 19 year old prodigy who in a perfect world should be playing Landers U20s and the U20s World Cup.
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Even in the absence of another 10, would seem unlikely to me that we would have: JRK, Solomon, Hurley, Tangitau, Tito-Harris, Nareki, Lowe & Filimone... so someone's source on those latter four is out.
However, I had heard a whisper they were looking to increase Super Rugby squad sizes, so wondering if we are going to see more than 38 contracted.
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@frugby has felt like there's been a much bigger push for WTG contracts this year than last. Can't recall Wider Training Group contracts being announced in the past or even really confirmed prior to pre season / post christmas. This year it feels like they're being treated much earlier in the season like contracted players.
Which kinda fits. Super rugby squads used to be 32 players + 6 WTG members. Then eventually they got expanded to 38/39 so makes sense it's happening again just with more members as needs change.
