Highlanders 2026
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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
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Highlanders No 10 Cameron Millar named for Josh Jacomb duel amid ‘significant’ New Zealand and overseas interest
Think it is fair to say he won't be at the Landers next year.
Off-contract at the end of the year, The Post understands that the 23-year-old has already attracted “significant” interest from both within New Zealand and overseas, although Millar does not have any foreign eligibility like former Crusaders pivot Fergus Burke.
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I hope Millar doesn't rush into anything. I'd be bloody disappointed to see him go to another New Zealand side. He's still only 23 for heaven's sake.
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@frugby at the age of 23, I reckon Harry Plummer played 2 games for the Blues, and apparently he's been chased away after not being rewarded with AB selection.
@reprobate He played more than 2 games before he was 23. In his rookie season in 2019 at age 21, he played 16 games for the Blues that year.
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I hope Millar doesn't rush into anything. I'd be bloody disappointed to see him go to another New Zealand side. He's still only 23 for heaven's sake.
@frugby said in Highlanders 2026:
I hope Millar doesn't rush into anything. I'd be bloody disappointed to see him go to another New Zealand side. He's still only 23 for heaven's sake.
The attraction of being on €150-€180k at 23 and playing for 10-12 years in France must be massive, and I wouldn’t blame him. He’d have a bigger house and fatter bank account that 99% of the highlanders when he finishes his career.
They’ve signed Jacomb, the writing is on the wall
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The Chiefs should pick him up - or maybe the Blues if Perofeta decides to up sticks.
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@reprobate He played more than 2 games before he was 23. In his rookie season in 2019 at age 21, he played 16 games for the Blues that year.
@MacDazzler said in Highlanders 2026:
@reprobate He played more than 2 games before he was 23. In his rookie season in 2019 at age 21, he played 16 games for the Blues that year.
Yeah I looked at the year he was 23, not up to that year. Dunno if it was injury or what, but in 2022 he played 2 games. Whatever way you look at it, at the age of 23 (Millar's age now) Plummer was absolutely not an established Super starter at 10.
My point is just that we have people saying that Plummer was robbed of an ABs spot and has been forced overseas, and people saying Millar should fuck off now because he's never going to be any good - but at the same age Plummer was no further ahead. Can't have it both ways.
