Highlanders 2023
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@Canes4life said in Highlanders 2023:
@Bones said in Highlanders 2023:
Looking more and more at our squad, it's pretty handy eh. All we need is for a young 10 to absolutely smash it out of the park.
It's our year!
Who would be your no1 Landers side?
Otoh something like
EdG
Pass
Ainsley
MSR
Dickson
Frizzel
Harmon
MMT
Smith
Gilbert
Nareki
TUG
Gregory
CGB
Hunt -
@Canes4life said in Highlanders 2023:
@Bones said in Highlanders 2023:
Looking more and more at our squad, it's pretty handy eh. All we need is for a young 10 to absolutely smash it out of the park.
It's our year!
Who would be your no1 Landers side?
Otoh something like
EdG
Pass
Ainsley
MSR
Dickson
Frizzel
Harmon
MMT
Smith
Gilbert
Nareki
TUG
Gregory
CGB
Hunt@Bones said in Highlanders 2023:
@Canes4life said in Highlanders 2023:
@Bones said in Highlanders 2023:
Looking more and more at our squad, it's pretty handy eh. All we need is for a young 10 to absolutely smash it out of the park.
It's our year!
Who would be your no1 Landers side?
Otoh something like
EdG
Pass
Ainsley
MSR
Dickson
Frizzel
Harmon
MMT
Smith
Gilbert
Nareki
TUG
Gregory
CGB
HuntIs Bell too young to be the starting hooker? Plenty of options out there including the likes of Keruru-Symes aswell.
Surely there are better fullbacks than Hunt running around that the Landers can sign?
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@Bones Forwards should be an improvement, but that backline doesn't look threatening. Hope Thomas Umaga-Jensen stays fit.
@Tim said in Highlanders 2023:
@Bones Forwards should be an improvement, but that backline doesn't look threatening. Hope Thomas Umaga-Jensen stays fit.
Outside the front row, the bench is bloody handy too. Especially if one of the young tens steps up and Gilbert can go to fullback. I'd be inclined to throw Miller into the deep end from what little I've seen of him.
Bench with Parkinson/Hicks, Lentjes, Fakatava, Hunt has some depth.
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@Bones said in Highlanders 2023:
@Canes4life said in Highlanders 2023:
@Bones said in Highlanders 2023:
Looking more and more at our squad, it's pretty handy eh. All we need is for a young 10 to absolutely smash it out of the park.
It's our year!
Who would be your no1 Landers side?
Otoh something like
EdG
Pass
Ainsley
MSR
Dickson
Frizzel
Harmon
MMT
Smith
Gilbert
Nareki
TUG
Gregory
CGB
HuntIs Bell too young to be the starting hooker? Plenty of options out there including the likes of Keruru-Symes aswell.
Surely there are better fullbacks than Hunt running around that the Landers can sign?
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@Tim said in Highlanders 2023:
@Bones Forwards should be an improvement, but that backline doesn't look threatening. Hope Thomas Umaga-Jensen stays fit.
Outside the front row, the bench is bloody handy too. Especially if one of the young tens steps up and Gilbert can go to fullback. I'd be inclined to throw Miller into the deep end from what little I've seen of him.
Bench with Parkinson/Hicks, Lentjes, Fakatava, Hunt has some depth.
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@Canes4life he's a good fullback, especially if he spends the off-season working on kicking better than a ten year old.
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@Bones he's solid for sure but I would potentially swap him and Gilbert around. There seems to be a trend across most franchises that there is a need to recruit outside backs. It will be interesting to see who lands where.
@Canes4life said in Highlanders 2023:
@Bones he's solid for sure but I would potentially swap him and Gilbert around. There seems to be a trend across most franchises that there is a need to recruit outside backs. It will be interesting to see who lands where.
I don't want Hunt getting in the way. He's like a lowlight reel of Mounga/Dmac when he's at ten.
Heck I'd throw Smith or Fakatava there first.
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I really like the optimism. Sadly, there isn't the cattle to back it up. I still think how many of our players would start for other franchises. I can only think of seven; EDG, two of our locks, Frizzell, both halfbacks and TUG (if at his best and fit). Lowe and Nareki can be quality wingers. But are they any better than what others have? Probably not. We are in a world of pain if the tractor Gregory is going to be our centre. Timu is a scrapper, not a world beater. At the moment he is our first choice centre. We don't have a 10. Rumour is Leni Apisai has already been signed as a third hooker. That rules out the stand out performer in Henry Bell. Our 2021 first string fullback can't even start for Wellington. Then we.have Mitch Hunt who hasn't even stripped during the NPC due to lingering concussion issues. We will be scrapping for the 7/8 spots in the quarter finals.
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I really like the optimism. Sadly, there isn't the cattle to back it up. I still think how many of our players would start for other franchises. I can only think of seven; EDG, two of our locks, Frizzell, both halfbacks and TUG (if at his best and fit). Lowe and Nareki can be quality wingers. But are they any better than what others have? Probably not. We are in a world of pain if the tractor Gregory is going to be our centre. Timu is a scrapper, not a world beater. At the moment he is our first choice centre. We don't have a 10. Rumour is Leni Apisai has already been signed as a third hooker. That rules out the stand out performer in Henry Bell. Our 2021 first string fullback can't even start for Wellington. Then we.have Mitch Hunt who hasn't even stripped during the NPC due to lingering concussion issues. We will be scrapping for the 7/8 spots in the quarter finals.
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2023:
I really like the optimism. Sadly, there isn't the cattle to back it up. I still think how many of our players would start for other franchises. I can only think of seven; EDG, two of our locks, Frizzell, both halfbacks and TUG (if at his best and fit). Lowe and Nareki can be quality wingers. But are they any better than what others have? Probably not. We are in a world of pain if the tractor Gregory is going to be our centre. Timu is a scrapper, not a world beater. At the moment he is our first choice centre. We don't have a 10. Rumour is Leni Apisai has already been signed as a third hooker. That rules out the stand out performer in Henry Bell. Our 2021 first string fullback can't even start for Wellington. Then we.have Mitch Hunt who hasn't even stripped during the NPC due to lingering concussion issues. We will be scrapping for the 7/8 spots in the quarter finals.
all i took from that is your right!....we forgot CGB!...straight in to 15 and hunt to the bench....W'RE GOING TO WIN IT ALL!
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2023:
I really like the optimism. Sadly, there isn't the cattle to back it up. I still think how many of our players would start for other franchises. I can only think of seven; EDG, two of our locks, Frizzell, both halfbacks and TUG (if at his best and fit). Lowe and Nareki can be quality wingers. But are they any better than what others have? Probably not. We are in a world of pain if the tractor Gregory is going to be our centre. Timu is a scrapper, not a world beater. At the moment he is our first choice centre. We don't have a 10. Rumour is Leni Apisai has already been signed as a third hooker. That rules out the stand out performer in Henry Bell. Our 2021 first string fullback can't even start for Wellington. Then we.have Mitch Hunt who hasn't even stripped during the NPC due to lingering concussion issues. We will be scrapping for the 7/8 spots in the quarter finals.
all i took from that is your right!....we forgot CGB!...straight in to 15 and hunt to the bench....W'RE GOING TO WIN IT ALL!
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@Kiwiwomble I didn't forget cgb...
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@Bones oh, not a fan?
@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2023:
@Bones oh, not a fan?
Only if you feel like it, you could take a few seconds to read the post where I loosely name my starting sure.
Only if you feel like it.
It's just after the one where c4l asks me what my team would be.
If you have time.
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@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2023:
@Bones oh, not a fan?
Only if you feel like it, you could take a few seconds to read the post where I loosely name my starting sure.
Only if you feel like it.
It's just after the one where c4l asks me what my team would be.
If you have time.
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@Bones wow, the sarcasm is strong with this one, i just missed him at 14 in your list and when you said you hadnt missed him i thought you meant deliberately dropped him, apologies
@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2023:
@Bones wow, the sarcasm is strong with this one, i just missed him at 14 in your list and when you said you hadnt missed him i thought you meant deliberately dropped him, apologies
Yeah yeah you probably didn't even see the whole post
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9 Smith. 10 Gilbert. 11 Nareki. 12 TUJ. 13 Timu. 14 Lowe. 15 CGB
21 Fakatava. 22 Hunt / Millar / new signing I don't know Otere Black type player? 23 Paea
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9 Smith. 10 Gilbert. 11 Nareki. 12 TUJ. 13 Timu. 14 Lowe. 15 CGB
21 Fakatava. 22 Hunt / Millar / new signing I don't know Otere Black type player? 23 Paea@FakatavaAllBlack i think thats pretty much what id go for given our squad
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Typical highlanders. Let Henry Bell bugger off, he is heading over the MLR in the US. Looks a sure thing that Leni Apisai is with the Landers next year. What a joke. Sounds like he has signed on for 2024 for two years for the Highlanders. Which just shows the franchise screwed up, and was surprised by his form.
https://www.warriorsrugby.com/news/warriors-sign-henry-bell/
I have a feeling Fetuli Paea won't be back. He originally only signed a two year contract originally. Will be interesting to see who our midfield options are. I suspect Umaga-Jensen, Timu and the tractor Gregory are locked in. So just after a fourth. Also remembering Jake Te Hiwi will be joining the team in 2024. So either the last midfielder is just a year contract. Or someone like Gregory could be on borrowed time.
