Highlanders 2026
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@WoodysRFC said in Highlanders 2026:
Curious to see which nine will be added to that WTG squad.
Have the Highlanders had extra players training given they only had 9 in their WTG?
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Super shit news about Pledge, brutal. Hope this doesn’t impact his game at all. Get that recovery right and a full off season in the gym adding a bit of size is about the only positive you can take out of it.
I don’t want to pile on the bad news here but Finn Hurley is/has been in a moon boot. Unsure the severity at the moment, here’s hoping not a major.
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@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2026:
Finn Hurley is/has been in a moon boot
https://www.odt.co.nz/sport/rugby/another-injury-hits-highlanders-follow-pledger-blow
"Another pocket rocket, fullback Finn Hurley, is out for six to eight weeks with a foot injury."
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Well that takes Hutley out u til about round 3/4.
Good opportunity for Solomon/Tito-Harris to grt some runs on the board early on.
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@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2026:
Super shit news about Pledge, brutal. Hope this doesn’t impact his game at all.
I think his game is strong enough to come back from this. By that I mean his strengths are not limited to relying on speed and agility. He seems to have a very high rugby IQ so, if he really wants to, I am confident he will find a away to excel if does lose a bit physically.
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@SouthernMann it's all bit sad really was looking forward to to a bench with some spark to it Pledger/Fakatava 21, Hurley 22. I'd almost now suggest really wanting Lucas casey to be in the reserves from day 1 somehow? the guy is worth 7 points on the scoreboard
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@Yeetyaah said in Highlanders 2026:
Y'all think this drops the Landers down maybe one or two spots on the ladder?
Yip. Certainly does.
Moves from pushing top six to seven - 10 (seven me being quite hopeful).
Fakatava is still a very good halfback. Just the pressure Pledger took off Millar was immense. Not sure Fakatava's style is suited to that.
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Rambling incoming so feel free to ignore, Luckless landers. Going on half a decade now I've noticed an upswing in injuries to our backs. It's a contact sport yes but it seems as tho the majority will face time on the sidelines.
● Halfbacks Dylan Pledger ruptured his acl gone for 26, Folau Fakatava multiple acl injuries throughout the course of his career.
● 10s Cam Millar missed time due to a head knock last year, Taine Robinson Injured against the Crusaders last year and only saw 1 or 2 as a result for Ta$man, Andrew Knewstubb Joins the landers with a history of acl injuries.● Midfield firstly have to mention Thomas Umaga Jensen & Josh Timu who have departed dunedin both of whom had disastrous runs of Injuries, Joining us in 26 is Reesjan Pasitoa who seemingly had Injury issues across the ditch, Timoci Tavatavanawai interestingly enough his injuries in the last 2 years have taken place in the spring months for Ta$man so no affect to the landers. Jake Te Hiwi multiple injuries throughout his career
● Outsides Finn Hurley with 1 notable injury that sidelined for 6 months last year and has picked up a shorter term Injury as of now, Jacob Ratumaitavuki kneepkens the 1 notable Injury being a broken neck suffered playing for Taranaki, Caleb Tangitau who joined us last year picked up an injury that sidelined him for 5 months,
Jona Nareki dozens of Injuries throughout his career although he finally came through unscathed for Otago back end of last year. Jonah Lowe suffered an acl injury in 2024 although intriguingly enough he returned in 2025 in better form than prior to that injury. So yeah nothing to gain from all I've said other than I see why Squads are larger these days. -
@Grooter my feeling is weve never really had the depth of other teams, if we do get good players down they are starting, no one is coming down to be part of the squad...and so if we do have injuries.....we're immediately starting youth/Journeymen/injury prone...and asking them to play week in week out...which probably leads to more injuries
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@Grooter said in Highlanders 2026:
Rambling incoming so feel free to ignore, Luckless landers. Going on half a decade now I've noticed an upswing in injuries to our backs. It's a contact sport yes but it seems as tho the majority will face time on the sidelines.
● Halfbacks Dylan Pledger ruptured his acl gone for 26, Folau Fakatava multiple acl injuries throughout the course of his career. ● 10s Cam Millar missed time due to a head knock last year, Taine Robinson Injured against the Crusaders last year and only saw 1 or 2 as a result for Ta$man, Andrew Knewstubb Joins the landers with a history of acl injuries. ● Midfield firstly have to mention Thomas Umaga Jensen & Josh Timu who have departed dunedin both of whom had disastrous runs of Injuries, Joining us in 26 is Reesjan Pasitoa who seemingly had Injury issues across the ditch, Timoci Tavatavanawai interestingly enough his injuries in the last 2 years have taken place in the spring months for Ta$man so no affect to the landers. Jake Te Hiwi multiple injuries throughout his career ● Outsides Finn Hurley with 1 notable injury that sidelined for 6 months last year and has picked up a shorter term Injury as of now, Jacob Ratumaitavuki kneepkens the 1 notable Injury being a broken neck suffered playing for Taranaki, Caleb Tangitau who joined us last year picked up an injury that sidelined him for 5 months, Jona Nareki dozens of Injuries throughout his career although he finally came through unscathed for Otago back end of last year. Jonah Lowe suffered an acl injury in 2024 although intriguingly enough he returned in 2025 in better form than prior to that injury. So yeah nothing to gain from all I've said other than I see why Squads are larger these days.Were you trying to do bullet points and it didn't work or the plan was always to have a gigantic paragraph with little black dots occasionally?
On the actual content itself I wonder if a similar injury toll is happening with the backs of other teams. Also Lowe is an injury magnet, he was injured at the Canes and the Chiefs too (thankfully he often recovers in time for the NPC).
