Highlanders 2025

nostrildamus

@Kiwiwomble said in Highlanders 2025:

i acknowledge my bias right, we can get past that

he's exactly the kind of person i was hoping would be a bolter this year...loosies for the ab's havent really jelled for a while...and yet we still try and use the same 6 guys

Yes plus we have to develop new 7s.

HLD2023Champions

Any new signing rumours?

frugby

@HLD2023Champions said in Highlanders 2025:

Any new signing rumours?

Two locks and a prop are where the gaps are... sounds like the prop will come from off-shore (either in the form of a NZer or a straight-up international)

Have heard nothing about locks, other than our only two currently signed being Holland and Dunshea.

KiwiInLondon

@frugby wonder where they’d be getting locks from. NZ in general is incredibly short on locks and no one in club rugby seems to be putting their hands up

SouthernMann

@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders 2025:

@frugby wonder where they’d be getting locks from. NZ in general is incredibly short on locks and no one in club rugby seems to be putting their hands up

Hugo Plummer has been looking good for Wellington. I hope he is back again. Another lock. Bit of a lottery.

HLD2023Champions

Can anyone do a rough idea of the Highlanders Squad next year?
Cheers

Bones

@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:

Imagine the poaching chat if we have those three in black. @Kiwiwomble agree, a lot of the loosies we are picking at the moment play in a very similar style to eachother too.

Added bonus of knowing the Springboks lineout calls.

Landers92

@HLD2023Champions said in Highlanders 2025:

Can anyone do a rough idea of the Highlanders Squad next year?
Cheers

You’ll see it further up the thread mate. There’s been a couple updated ones.

ploughboy

fifita off to tonga nov 15 so will be playing again 2027

SouthernMann

@ploughboy said in Highlanders 2025:

fifita off to tonga nov 15 so will be playing again 2027

So 21 when he returns?

ploughboy

@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:

@ploughboy said in Highlanders 2025:

fifita off to tonga nov 15 so will be playing again 2027

So 21 when he returns?

sorry not to sure

cala7x

Not player related. But all club members apart from premium/elite north stand members are being forced to move into the speights stand. If they want to continue being a gold member or below ( being combined as a standard membership) for 2025

Kiwiwomble

@cala7x i prefer the north stand myself, great view....but i get it, will look better on TV, might even build a better environment have more people together

cala7x

Agreed. We have only ever had north stand memberships. So it's bitterly disappointing. And suggesting we can pay an extra $400 for two of us to stay in the stand is silly.

KiwiInLondon

Much of the ticket pricing is dictated by Forsyth Barr, not the highlanders. The prices they pay to practice on the pitch are absolutely absurd. The agreement they have is ridiculous

frugby

Signing News.
TK Howden to the Highlanders, Will Tucker going the other way to the Canes - we are carrying three locks, that player is still TBC
Josh Bartlett is the prop from Australia... young Kiwi boy who played Western Force

NZ XV News
Jack Taylor, Oli Haig and Sean Withy expected to be named in the squad.

Bovidae

@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:

Josh Bartlett is the prop from Australia... young Kiwi boy who played Western Force

He is in the BOP squad again, and played one game for the Chiefs back in 2022. I'm not sure Bartlett is a better option than say Coxon.

SouthernMann

@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:

Signing News.
TK Howden to the Highlanders, Will Tucker going the other way to the Canes - we are carrying three locks, that player is still TBC
Josh Bartlett is the prop from Australia... young Kiwi boy who played Western Force

NZ XV News
Jack Taylor, Oli Haig and Sean Withy expected to be named in the squad.

Really interesting loosie options with some big lads who can all switch into lock. Jospeh has talked about wanting to be the fittest pack, and not worry about being the biggest. This reflects it. Glad Taylor, Haig and Withy are being lined up. Hopefully they will be joined by some others like JRK, and even Ma'u. Millar should get a chance too

nostrildamus

It's our season! (Second team, I'm clearly a sado-masochistic bandwagoner)..

frugby

So just racking the brain, a few things to note with the squad:

Props: I have heard Bartlett (player is from the Rebels or Force), but still not 100% on that one, as he is a loosehead. Potentially we are contracting seven props and have cut someone else? The other one from the Force could be Joel Hintz (would be a bizarre pickup I think?)... from the Rebels, Cabous Eloff could fit the bill.

Locks: JJ happy to carry three locks, as they are happy enough to get away with Stodart (and presumably Haig) on a matchday whilst they call someone else in. As for who that player could be, if they have let Tucker go, it is in theory someone better. Can discount Southland and Otago's others I think, so likely someone out of the region. Allan Craig, Hugo Plummer & Antonio Shalfoon are the first three who jump out - any other ideas?

Loose Forwards: We now have:
(6): Haig, Howden, Sanders
(7): Lasaqa, Withy, Michaels
(8): Renton, Stodart, Broughton

Sanders is a candidate to have potentially been cut, because he has been unsighted and listed as a largely unexplained injury for Otago... could have made room for Howden, or they are simply carrying 9 because that was where the quality was available.

In theory the squad breakdown by position assuming nobody has been cut is: HK (3), PR (6), LK (3), LF (9), HB (3), FH (2), MF (6), W/FB (6)

Has Lowe and/or Sanders taken an early release so we can carry a third first five?

The Silver Fern

Highlanders 2025