Highlanders 2026
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Timu to Hurricanes as WTG, Souchon signed to our WTG.
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@frugby said in Highlanders 2026:
Timu to Hurricanes as WTG, Souchon signed to our WTG.
That is disappointing we have lost Timu to up the road. He has been one of the best defensive centres in the NPC.
I hope we have the other two hookers around the group. Both need to get bigger to be competitive.
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@SouthernMann Given the family links, I would suggest the Highlanders didn’t want Timu - we need to move on.
Ironically; I do think he is better than Te Hiwi and Whaanga at this stage, but all three are injury prone as anything.
On Pasitoa, I was thinking given Grindlay is supposedly coming as well, if TUJ is the only midfielder gone and they have not announced these signings that one of them is probably WTG?
Tito-Harris is another one who I wonder if he is only WTG.
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@SouthernMann On the rest of that WTG, I am working on the idea that we have locked in six, and therefore the next six could be anyone from anywhere, I think that is the idea of the draft rather than it being filled with local guys.
Tengblad, Casey, Souchon, Shearer are definitely four of them, I would imagine Harvey is five. Muliaina will be on an NDC I think, as this does not prohibit you from playing for the dev team, nor SR if required, so there should be one more retained.
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@frugby said in Highlanders 2026:
@SouthernMann Given the family links, I would suggest the Highlanders didn’t want Timu - we need to move on.
Ironically; I do think he is better than Te Hiwi and Whaanga at this stage, but all three are injury prone as anything.
On Pasitoa, I was thinking given Grindlay is supposedly coming as well, if TUJ is the only midfielder gone and they have not announced these signings that one of them is probably WTG?
Tito-Harris is another one who I wonder if he is only WTG.
This is a system we could have done with three years ago when we gave full contracts to kids who were nowhere near ready.
Having an opportunity to look at the young brigade we brought in would have been ideal. We had up to 10 guys who just weren't capable of playing that that level.
You'd think one of Grindlay or Pasitoa are in the WTG.
With the props, I think we will be hard pressed to find better back up guys than Sexton and Wingham (if he gets demoted).
I agree with Timu being the pick of those three. Even though he has lost a yard of pace. Is probably playing the best rugby of his career. He's only 27. Te Hiwi sadly was getting into gear this season and boom another injury. Whaanga is finally looking to size he should be play as a high level centre.
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Michael Manson linking up with NZ Sevens.
Rugby's fastest man set to light up sevens fields
World Rugby’s HSBC SVNS Series has just got a whole lot more interesting for Southland rugby followers.
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I thought Carter was touted as the fastest in NZ?
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2026:
Michael Manson linking up with NZ Sevens
Can you confirm if that's a guaranteed bench spot or not?
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@Yeetyaah said in Highlanders 2026:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2026:
Michael Manson linking up with NZ Sevens
Can you confirm if that's a guaranteed bench spot or not?
Why the hell would someone have a guaranteed bench spot?
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@jimmyb said in Highlanders 2026:
@Yeetyaah said in Highlanders 2026:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2026:
Michael Manson linking up with NZ Sevens
Can you confirm if that's a guaranteed bench spot or not?
Why the hell would someone have a guaranteed bench spot?
It is a fern inside joke. Prior to the squad being announced last year. A new forum member popped up. They said he had been signed and guaranteed a bench spot.
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@SouthernMann I know this fern member, and can actually guarantee Manson was told he had a promised bench spot for a certain amount of games. Don’t know exactly why that promise didn’t happen, but again can guarantee Manson was promised something.
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2026:
@jimmyb said in Highlanders 2026:
@Yeetyaah said in Highlanders 2026:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2026:
Michael Manson linking up with NZ Sevens
Can you confirm if that's a guaranteed bench spot or not?
Why the hell would someone have a guaranteed bench spot?
It is a fern inside joke. Prior to the squad being announced last year. A new forum member popped up. They said he had been signed and guaranteed a bench spot.
Ahh I can imagine the reaction to that
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@Chris said in Highlanders 2026:
Andrew Knewstubb at the Highlanders next year not sure if its a full or WTG contract.
When you want Josh Jacomb and end up with Andrew Knewstubb. I'd say it will be a fulltime deal. It was a calculated bet to try and land Jacomb for 2026. Just didn't workout this time. Left us no choice but to go to next man up for a one and done deal.
Next year should be Taine Robinson's last as well.
First five is a big problem next year.
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@SouthernMann I’m not convinced it is. We’ve got Cam Millar, Taine Robinson, Reesjan Pasetoa, Andrew Knewstubb, Finn Hurley and Stanley Solomon who can cover first five. Plus young Muliania.
If I was JJ I’d be trying to get Finn Hurley some time at 10 next season
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@handa457 said in Highlanders 2026:
@SouthernMann I’m not convinced it is. We’ve got Cam Millar, Taine Robinson, Reesjan Pasetoa, Andrew Knewstubb, Finn Hurley and Stanley Solomon who can cover first five. Plus young Muliania.
If I was JJ I’d be trying to get Finn Hurley some time at 10 next season
The Crusaders have White, Reinhana and Kemara.
Blues, Barrett andPerofeta.
Hurricanes Love and Cameron.
Chiefs McKenzie and Jacomb.
We have Millar who has had his best NPC. Still a big question mark over him at Super level.
Robinson is an injury prone utility.
Knewstubb is a filler player and his pretty much a carbon copy of Robinson.
Pasitoa is a 12 now.
Hurley abd Solomon are outside backs. Even though I'd also have Hurley as my match day 23 as 10 cover.
Muliaina needs to get time in the saddle running the Development team. Should be not be playing with the main team apart from pre-season games.
10 is a massive weakness compared to other sides. This weakness will be the difference between potentially finishes in the top four or missing out on the top 6.
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@SouthernMann sounds like the end of the carisbrook days when our 10s were Matt Berquist & a 10/12 Dan Bowden! to tell you the truth I'm not that envious of the Crusaders 10s, Reihana is pretty good although it took him until age 25 to come of age in super rugby, Kemara is stasticially the worst goal kicking 10 in super and as for James White well if he walked passed by me in the street I'm not sure I would know it was him
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@Grooter said in Highlanders 2026:
@SouthernMann sounds like the end of the carisbrook days when our 10s were Matt Berquist & a 10/12 Dan Bowden! to tell you the truth I'm not that envious of the Crusaders 10s, Reihana is pretty good although it took him until age 25 to come of age in super rugby, Kemara is stasticially the worst goal kicking 10 in super and as for James White well if he walked passed by me in the street I'm not sure I would know it was him
It is still a playing group of two guys the Crusaders trust to be starting 10s and a up and coming guy.
We are in a better position at 10 than what we were in at the beginning of the NPC. Purely because Millar has had a good season.
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That's the NPC done... now its just a waiting game to see the FIFTY players we have on the books for 2026! With the way Otago have played, the Highlanders have the chance to build off of that, because as is always said, Dunedin is a rugby city, and it doesn't take much to get them interested.
Most of the Highlanders boys went well in the NPC, but there were a few disappointments who stuck out like a sore thumb.
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Soane Vikena is clearly a guy who has not been able to translate age-grade rugby to the next level. Was shite in a shite Auckland side outside of one very impressive try against Hawke's Bay.
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Angus Ta'avao looked like a real old man...
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Nikora Broughton just ain't big enough. Shown up massively by Lio-Willie and Stodart in the semi-final at Forsyth Barr, and I just can't see justification for him playing any meaningful role next year if he is back
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Hugh Renton was out injured all campaign. The news here, is that he IS BACK in 2026, but won't be back in full training until the back end of January. I don't envisage him retaining the captaincy as he is likely to play a limited role, and it remains to be seen if he can get back up to speed
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Taine Robinson struggled with injury, and given the movements with the first fives, he has surely lost ground
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Andrew Knewstubb... granted he was the starting first five in a title winning side, but everytime I watched him I just thought he was seriously average. I don't think he has the kicking game to be a Super Rugby 10, and I really hope Jamie doesn't try any fancy silly buggers. Just back Millar please.
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Jake Te Hiwi was reasonable for Otago, but was ultimately behind one guy heading to Japan, and another guy the Highlanders have decided they don't want - and he can't stay fit. In a moon boot since his injury.
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Josh Whaanga had some good moments for Otago, but he was probably fourth in the pecking order. He just doesn't have the pace needed for the next level I don't think
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Jimmy the Difference broke his arm, but the upside of that is he should be there on day one for the Landers... hopefully charged up too
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Taniela Tele'a was another one who was injured, but at least he was fit at the end of the campaign. Did nothing of note in the woeful Auckland team
The positive though, is outside of an injury prone set of midfielders, the guys we wanted to go away and have a good NPC campaign did that, and some.
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