Highlanders 2026
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Going into the season without
Ma'u - first choice tighthead
Holland - first choice lock
Renton - captain
Pledger- one of the best young players in the game
Hurley - likely bench impact playerJust over 20% of our top 23 out injured. We don't have rhe depth to lose players of that level.
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2026:
Going into the season without
Ma'u - first choice tighthead
Holland - first choice lock
Renton - captain
Pledger- one of the best young players in the game
Hurley - likely bench impact playerJust over 20% of our top 23 out injured. We don't have rhe depth to lose players of that level.
JJ also seemed to suggest Pledger would be out for the NPC season as well
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Going into the season without
Ma'u - first choice tighthead
Holland - first choice lock
Renton - captain
Pledger- one of the best young players in the game
Hurley - likely bench impact playerJust over 20% of our top 23 out injured. We don't have rhe depth to lose players of that level.
@SouthernMann given these outside of Hammington any new additions to the WTG?
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Going into the season without
Ma'u - first choice tighthead
Holland - first choice lock
Renton - captain
Pledger- one of the best young players in the game
Hurley - likely bench impact playerJust over 20% of our top 23 out injured. We don't have rhe depth to lose players of that level.
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2026:
Going into the season without
Ma'u - first choice tighthead
Holland - first choice lock
Renton - captain
Pledger- one of the best young players in the game
Hurley - likely bench impact playerJust over 20% of our top 23 out injured. We don't have rhe depth to lose players of that level.
while true Ma'u was selected more often than not for us last year I just feel he's overated, the Pari Parkinson of props. comes down from a Auckland school and gets postive press because he's a big unit but for my money Rohan Wingham will end up being better than Ma'u
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Far from perfect, but man it is good to get off the mark with the win. I won’t get carried away yet, but I think you have to take some belief that that performance can translate into more wins down the line because of how good we were defensively.
I would look for consistency against the Chiefs next week, though if Lavanini gets through the Bravehearts game okay; then he comes onto the bench for me.
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2026:
Going into the season without
Ma'u - first choice tighthead
Holland - first choice lock
Renton - captain
Pledger- one of the best young players in the game
Hurley - likely bench impact playerJust over 20% of our top 23 out injured. We don't have rhe depth to lose players of that level.
while true Ma'u was selected more often than not for us last year I just feel he's overated, the Pari Parkinson of props. comes down from a Auckland school and gets postive press because he's a big unit but for my money Rohan Wingham will end up being better than Ma'u
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Far from perfect, but man it is good to get off the mark with the win. I won’t get carried away yet, but I think you have to take some belief that that performance can translate into more wins down the line because of how good we were defensively.
I would look for consistency against the Chiefs next week, though if Lavanini gets through the Bravehearts game okay; then he comes onto the bench for me.
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@frugby yeah I have a feeling Lavanini might get himself some unscheduled time on the sideline.
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@Bones Argentinian forwards are very proactive in managing their workloads, him more than most.
@reprobate said in Highlanders 2026:
@Bones Argentinian forwards are very proactive in managing their workloads, him more than most.
Must be tough putting your feet up for a 12 (?) round competition, getting paid an ok amount, and then fucking back off to Europe to get ready for a World Cup.
Great signing on the face of it, might be a complete fuck uop
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A win against the reigning champs check, no significant injuries I’m aware of check, showed some real grit grinding it out check, crystallise some real team spirit check
That’s much more than k could have hoped for, I’ll take it happily
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2026:
Going into the season without
Ma'u - first choice tighthead
Holland - first choice lock
Renton - captain
Pledger- one of the best young players in the game
Hurley - likely bench impact playerJust over 20% of our top 23 out injured. We don't have rhe depth to lose players of that level.
while true Ma'u was selected more often than not for us last year I just feel he's overated, the Pari Parkinson of props. comes down from a Auckland school and gets postive press because he's a big unit but for my money Rohan Wingham will end up being better than Ma'u
@Grooter said in Highlanders 2026:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2026:
Going into the season without
Ma'u - first choice tighthead
Holland - first choice lock
Renton - captain
Pledger- one of the best young players in the game
Hurley - likely bench impact playerJust over 20% of our top 23 out injured. We don't have rhe depth to lose players of that level.
while true Ma'u was selected more often than not for us last year I just feel he's overated, the Pari Parkinson of props. comes down from a Auckland school and gets postive press because he's a big unit but for my money Rohan Wingham will end up being better than Ma'u
I wouldn’t say Ma’u is overrated at all. He’s rated about right. Squad player in an ABs XV side is exactly where he is. Far from the Pari Pari Parkinson of props, that guy barely played. Ma’u has been around for awhile now and still only 25 years old, a few years until he’s around the peak age for props. That was winghams first super start, no need to be comparing the 2 yet.
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2026:
Going into the season without
Ma'u - first choice tighthead
Holland - first choice lock
Renton - captain
Pledger- one of the best young players in the game
Hurley - likely bench impact playerJust over 20% of our top 23 out injured. We don't have rhe depth to lose players of that level.
while true Ma'u was selected more often than not for us last year I just feel he's overated, the Pari Parkinson of props. comes down from a Auckland school and gets postive press because he's a big unit but for my money Rohan Wingham will end up being better than Ma'u
@Grooter said in Highlanders 2026:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2026:
Going into the season without
Ma'u - first choice tighthead
Holland - first choice lock
Renton - captain
Pledger- one of the best young players in the game
Hurley - likely bench impact playerJust over 20% of our top 23 out injured. We don't have rhe depth to lose players of that level.
while true Ma'u was selected more often than not for us last year I just feel he's overated, the Pari Parkinson of props. comes down from a Auckland school and gets postive press because he's a big unit but for my money Rohan Wingham will end up being better than Ma'u
Ma'u has now played 50 games for the Landers. After getting reffed off the field against the Reds last year, I thought he bounced back in later rounds.
It shouldn't be player A or Player B. It should be both.
What I like about having Wingham and Ma'u is they complement each other reaosnbly well.
Ma'u is absolutely huge. While Wingham will go all day. It is the right mix of players who will be rotating through the 3/18 jerseys.
Thinking about the Chiefs next week.
The starting team, with the props changing back ahould be retained.
As I mentioned in the devleopment thread. If one of Te Hiwi, Grindlay or Whaanga plays well they should get Tele'a's spot. He was awful.
Lavanini potentially in as well.
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Not sure where to put this but this is absolutely devastating for Angus and his family.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360939810/highlanders-prop-angus-taavao-confirms-sons-death
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Not sure where to put this but this is absolutely devastating for Angus and his family.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360939810/highlanders-prop-angus-taavao-confirms-sons-death
@Canes4life said in Highlanders 2026:
Not sure where to put this but this is absolutely devastating for Angus and his family.
https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/360939810/highlanders-prop-angus-taavao-confirms-sons-death
Horiffic news.
Remember him on the what a lad podcast. Spoke about how Jamie was encouraging him to bring his family down and said he couldn't due to the boy being in a special school in Auckland.
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Extremely sad news. Thoughts are with the Ta'avao fam.
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Current injury update.
Xavier Tito-Harris (hamstring - 1 week)
Andrew Knewstubb (quad - 2 weeks)
Finn Hurley (foot – 4-6 weeks)
Saula Ma’u (shoulder - 7 weeks)@Landers92 cheers, well then Solomon should debut off the bench against 1 of the Aussie teams coming up
