Highlanders 2025
-
After six years of service and 56 games Highlander #295 Sam Gilbert will be departing our shores to play for Connacht in Ireland at the end of this year’s NPC.
Sam made his debut for the club in 2020 and has been our go to man many times over the last six seasons having played every position in the backline apart from halfback.
We wish him all the very best in the next chapter of his rugby story.
@cala7x said in Highlanders 2025:
After six years of service and 56 games Highlander #295 Sam Gilbert will be departing our shores to play for Connacht in Ireland at the end of this year’s NPC.
Sam made his debut for the club in 2020 and has been our go to man many times over the last six seasons having played every position in the backline apart from halfback.
We wish him all the very best in the next chapter of his rugby story.
He’s copped a bit of stick over the last couple years but he’s been a solid squad player since he joined and by all accounts a good person as well. Fell into the ‘Mr fix it’ role and I feel it messed with him a bit, especially for Otago.
Good luck to him over there, I feel he will suit that playing style well. All the best to him. Hope he does well.
-
@cala7x said in Highlanders 2025:
After six years of service and 56 games Highlander #295 Sam Gilbert will be departing our shores to play for Connacht in Ireland at the end of this year’s NPC.
Sam made his debut for the club in 2020 and has been our go to man many times over the last six seasons having played every position in the backline apart from halfback.
We wish him all the very best in the next chapter of his rugby story.
He’s copped a bit of stick over the last couple years but he’s been a solid squad player since he joined and by all accounts a good person as well. Fell into the ‘Mr fix it’ role and I feel it messed with him a bit, especially for Otago.
Good luck to him over there, I feel he will suit that playing style well. All the best to him. Hope he does well.
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
@cala7x said in Highlanders 2025:
After six years of service and 56 games Highlander #295 Sam Gilbert will be departing our shores to play for Connacht in Ireland at the end of this year’s NPC.
Sam made his debut for the club in 2020 and has been our go to man many times over the last six seasons having played every position in the backline apart from halfback.
We wish him all the very best in the next chapter of his rugby story.
He’s copped a bit of stick over the last couple years but he’s been a solid squad player since he joined and by all accounts a good person as well. Fell into the ‘Mr fix it’ role and I feel it messed with him a bit, especially for Otago.
Good luck to him over there, I feel he will suit that playing style well. All the best to him. Hope he does well.
A solid squad player. Is the best way to sum him up.
Sadly, a lack of capability around him meant he had to be a leading hand.
A guy who was essentially the level of a steady NPC starter, or a 2nd/3rd string Super player was required to be one of the star players in the Landers set up. The expectations and then feedback wasn't fair on him.
I agree with you, his style will likely go well up there.
My hope for the NPC is that guys who will be around next year are prioritised over him.
-
@cala7x said in Highlanders 2025:
After six years of service and 56 games Highlander #295 Sam Gilbert will be departing our shores to play for Connacht in Ireland at the end of this year’s NPC.
Sam made his debut for the club in 2020 and has been our go to man many times over the last six seasons having played every position in the backline apart from halfback.
We wish him all the very best in the next chapter of his rugby story.
He’s copped a bit of stick over the last couple years but he’s been a solid squad player since he joined and by all accounts a good person as well. Fell into the ‘Mr fix it’ role and I feel it messed with him a bit, especially for Otago.
Good luck to him over there, I feel he will suit that playing style well. All the best to him. Hope he does well.
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
@cala7x said in Highlanders 2025:
After six years of service and 56 games Highlander #295 Sam Gilbert will be departing our shores to play for Connacht in Ireland at the end of this year’s NPC.
Sam made his debut for the club in 2020 and has been our go to man many times over the last six seasons having played every position in the backline apart from halfback.
We wish him all the very best in the next chapter of his rugby story.
He’s copped a bit of stick over the last couple years but he’s been a solid squad player since he joined and by all accounts a good person as well. Fell into the ‘Mr fix it’ role and I feel it messed with him a bit, especially for Otago.
Good luck to him over there, I feel he will suit that playing style well. All the best to him. Hope he does well.
Yeah they're not bad players, they just get the finger pointed at them more when things aren't going so well. As was said earlier, in sides going well, they're handy squad players.
We had one in the 2010s at the Blues, Michael Collins. Again, not a bad squad player, but as he was playing more and more and the side wasn't going well, he then copped more criticism as he wasn't what we needed at the time, but again, would have been a handy fill in for a better side back then.
That's who Gilbert kind of reminds me of in terms of how good he is.
-
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
@cala7x said in Highlanders 2025:
After six years of service and 56 games Highlander #295 Sam Gilbert will be departing our shores to play for Connacht in Ireland at the end of this year’s NPC.
Sam made his debut for the club in 2020 and has been our go to man many times over the last six seasons having played every position in the backline apart from halfback.
We wish him all the very best in the next chapter of his rugby story.
He’s copped a bit of stick over the last couple years but he’s been a solid squad player since he joined and by all accounts a good person as well. Fell into the ‘Mr fix it’ role and I feel it messed with him a bit, especially for Otago.
Good luck to him over there, I feel he will suit that playing style well. All the best to him. Hope he does well.
Yeah they're not bad players, they just get the finger pointed at them more when things aren't going so well. As was said earlier, in sides going well, they're handy squad players.
We had one in the 2010s at the Blues, Michael Collins. Again, not a bad squad player, but as he was playing more and more and the side wasn't going well, he then copped more criticism as he wasn't what we needed at the time, but again, would have been a handy fill in for a better side back then.
That's who Gilbert kind of reminds me of in terms of how good he is.
@African-Monkey said in Highlanders 2025:
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
@cala7x said in Highlanders 2025:
After six years of service and 56 games Highlander #295 Sam Gilbert will be departing our shores to play for Connacht in Ireland at the end of this year’s NPC.
Sam made his debut for the club in 2020 and has been our go to man many times over the last six seasons having played every position in the backline apart from halfback.
We wish him all the very best in the next chapter of his rugby story.
He’s copped a bit of stick over the last couple years but he’s been a solid squad player since he joined and by all accounts a good person as well. Fell into the ‘Mr fix it’ role and I feel it messed with him a bit, especially for Otago.
Good luck to him over there, I feel he will suit that playing style well. All the best to him. Hope he does well.
Yeah they're not bad players, they just get the finger pointed at them more when things aren't going so well. As was said earlier, in sides going well, they're handy squad players.
We had one in the 2010s at the Blues, Michael Collins. Again, not a bad squad player, but as he was playing more and more and the side wasn't going well, he then copped more criticism as he wasn't what we needed at the time, but again, would have been a handy fill in for a better side back then.
That's who Gilbert kind of reminds me of in terms of how good he is.
We know Michael Collins very well. He was ours he's before his time in Auckland, before coming back for a stint at the Landers. Looked like he was running in mud
-
@African-Monkey said in Highlanders 2025:
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
@cala7x said in Highlanders 2025:
After six years of service and 56 games Highlander #295 Sam Gilbert will be departing our shores to play for Connacht in Ireland at the end of this year’s NPC.
Sam made his debut for the club in 2020 and has been our go to man many times over the last six seasons having played every position in the backline apart from halfback.
We wish him all the very best in the next chapter of his rugby story.
He’s copped a bit of stick over the last couple years but he’s been a solid squad player since he joined and by all accounts a good person as well. Fell into the ‘Mr fix it’ role and I feel it messed with him a bit, especially for Otago.
Good luck to him over there, I feel he will suit that playing style well. All the best to him. Hope he does well.
Yeah they're not bad players, they just get the finger pointed at them more when things aren't going so well. As was said earlier, in sides going well, they're handy squad players.
We had one in the 2010s at the Blues, Michael Collins. Again, not a bad squad player, but as he was playing more and more and the side wasn't going well, he then copped more criticism as he wasn't what we needed at the time, but again, would have been a handy fill in for a better side back then.
That's who Gilbert kind of reminds me of in terms of how good he is.
We know Michael Collins very well. He was ours he's before his time in Auckland, before coming back for a stint at the Landers. Looked like he was running in mud
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
@African-Monkey said in Highlanders 2025:
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
@cala7x said in Highlanders 2025:
After six years of service and 56 games Highlander #295 Sam Gilbert will be departing our shores to play for Connacht in Ireland at the end of this year’s NPC.
Sam made his debut for the club in 2020 and has been our go to man many times over the last six seasons having played every position in the backline apart from halfback.
We wish him all the very best in the next chapter of his rugby story.
He’s copped a bit of stick over the last couple years but he’s been a solid squad player since he joined and by all accounts a good person as well. Fell into the ‘Mr fix it’ role and I feel it messed with him a bit, especially for Otago.
Good luck to him over there, I feel he will suit that playing style well. All the best to him. Hope he does well.
Yeah they're not bad players, they just get the finger pointed at them more when things aren't going so well. As was said earlier, in sides going well, they're handy squad players.
We had one in the 2010s at the Blues, Michael Collins. Again, not a bad squad player, but as he was playing more and more and the side wasn't going well, he then copped more criticism as he wasn't what we needed at the time, but again, would have been a handy fill in for a better side back then.
That's who Gilbert kind of reminds me of in terms of how good he is.
We know Michael Collins very well. He was ours he's before his time in Auckland, before coming back for a stint at the Landers. Looked like he was running in mud
Oh yeah I know haha, I was more just comparing him to a guy like Sam Gilbert from a Blues point of view.
-
I’m not Gilbert’s biggest fan, but I don’t think he is in the Collin’s level. Personally I think they did best when they had to use him at 10, as the landers have been a play off 9 team for a while anyway. They went away from it and I don’t think have looked as good since, while not replacing him with anyone actually better in the 10 shirt for their style of play.
-
On the squad, is the WTG stacked with locks? Not much room to recruit based on those contract lengths unless they can move along a loosie or two
@gt12 Tengblad is a straight swap for Naeeta. I suspect if we loose Lowe next season then we recruit a single outside back, pickup a lock (Taylor Cahill, Josh Taulua Hugo Plummer could be worth a shot) and run a back in the WTG.
To me Taneila Filimome versus Tai Cribb showcases the difference in recruiting for WTG. One bloke is close to being super rugby ready. The other is barely NPC level. Good locks are hard to find and we need to prioritise on our forward pack.
-
Filimone is nearly 26, so much more experienced at levels below SR, even for an outside back.
@Bovidae key difference though is there’s a few more close to SR rugby backs floating around while forwards tend to get snapped up quickly:
Like Manase Matalele, Matt Whaanga, Callum Harkin and Filimone all come to mind as decent uncontracted operators at the start of the season we could have pulled into our WTG if need be. Hugo Plummers the only lock I can think of countrywide who was SR ready but not contracted.
-
Joesph needs to take the blame for his original squad selections at lock. Naeata was his choice. James Thompson, for example, wasn't retained by the Blues and could have been a solid squad member to provide depth at lock. He did well in his brief appearances. He is now in the Chiefs WTG instead. Players will probably move for a full contract but aren't going to swap one WTG contract for another as easily.
-
On the squad, is the WTG stacked with locks? Not much room to recruit based on those contract lengths unless they can move along a loosie or two
@gt12 said in Highlanders 2025:
On the squad, is the WTG stacked with locks? Not much room to recruit based on those contract lengths unless they can move along a loosie or two
Very few locks around the squad from a local level. Tengblad will come in on a long-term deal. Dunshea is the big question mark for me. A lot of the commentary you hear around recruitment is that locks are highly sought after. While he is a bit of a country boy. At 30, he could be ripe to be picked up elsewhere. If that's the case I'd expect us to run pretty lean with locks again. With Stodart and Oli Haig being in the locking rotation. Howden at a pinch as well. Time would be better suited investigating him as an 8 though.
Otago will run Holland (depending on international call up), Stodart, Tengblad and may be Christian MacEwan.
Southland is quite lean on locks. It was after Tai Cribb.
-
@gt12 said in Highlanders 2025:
On the squad, is the WTG stacked with locks? Not much room to recruit based on those contract lengths unless they can move along a loosie or two
Very few locks around the squad from a local level. Tengblad will come in on a long-term deal. Dunshea is the big question mark for me. A lot of the commentary you hear around recruitment is that locks are highly sought after. While he is a bit of a country boy. At 30, he could be ripe to be picked up elsewhere. If that's the case I'd expect us to run pretty lean with locks again. With Stodart and Oli Haig being in the locking rotation. Howden at a pinch as well. Time would be better suited investigating him as an 8 though.
Otago will run Holland (depending on international call up), Stodart, Tengblad and may be Christian MacEwan.
Southland is quite lean on locks. It was after Tai Cribb.
Selby-Rickit was signed to the Chiefs on a two year deal. Available for Highlanders to sign now?
-
Selby-Rickit was signed to the Chiefs on a two year deal. Available for Highlanders to sign now?
@Tim said in Highlanders 2025:
Selby-Rickit was signed to the Chiefs on a two year deal. Available for Highlanders to sign now?
Nah. Not the right sort of move for us. He doesn't scream the sort of guy who is a good follow me type. More of a dickhead type. All he is remembered for down there is bashing some fella on the piss. We've been there done that with him.
-
@Tim said in Highlanders 2025:
Selby-Rickit was signed to the Chiefs on a two year deal. Available for Highlanders to sign now?
Nah. Not the right sort of move for us. He doesn't scream the sort of guy who is a good follow me type. More of a dickhead type. All he is remembered for down there is bashing some fella on the piss. We've been there done that with him.
@SouthernMann Fair enough!
-
@gt12 said in Highlanders 2025:
On the squad, is the WTG stacked with locks? Not much room to recruit based on those contract lengths unless they can move along a loosie or two
Very few locks around the squad from a local level. Tengblad will come in on a long-term deal. Dunshea is the big question mark for me. A lot of the commentary you hear around recruitment is that locks are highly sought after. While he is a bit of a country boy. At 30, he could be ripe to be picked up elsewhere. If that's the case I'd expect us to run pretty lean with locks again. With Stodart and Oli Haig being in the locking rotation. Howden at a pinch as well. Time would be better suited investigating him as an 8 though.
Otago will run Holland (depending on international call up), Stodart, Tengblad and may be Christian MacEwan.
Southland is quite lean on locks. It was after Tai Cribb.
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
Tai Cribb.
Apparently he is going to play for Auckland this year, but the Blues should have four locks and two lock/six players in their squad too. Worth signing?
-
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
Tai Cribb.
Apparently he is going to play for Auckland this year, but the Blues should have four locks and two lock/six players in their squad too. Worth signing?
@Tim said in Highlanders 2025:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
Tai Cribb.
Apparently he is going to play for Auckland this year, but the Blues should have four locks and two lock/six players in their squad too. Worth signing?
He looks a short lock who hasn't filled out yet. We have guys like Stodart, Haig and Howden who are all similar heights and have filled out. Would just seem like bringing in another guy of the same variation.
Haven't seen much of Makiri @Bones. How does he go. I reckon there could be an NPC outside or two who could play their way in. We could be looking for up to three outside backs with Gilbert leaving, likely Lowe and a question mark over Nareki...
-
@Tim said in Highlanders 2025:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
Tai Cribb.
Apparently he is going to play for Auckland this year, but the Blues should have four locks and two lock/six players in their squad too. Worth signing?
He looks a short lock who hasn't filled out yet. We have guys like Stodart, Haig and Howden who are all similar heights and have filled out. Would just seem like bringing in another guy of the same variation.
Haven't seen much of Makiri @Bones. How does he go. I reckon there could be an NPC outside or two who could play their way in. We could be looking for up to three outside backs with Gilbert leaving, likely Lowe and a question mark over Nareki...
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
Tai Cribb.
Aha, looks like he is only 1.94m. Although ... Jackson Hemopo was about that height, and was a very good player.
