Highlanders 2025
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@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
@gt12 said in Highlanders 2025:
@reprobate said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
@gt12 said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
@handa457 said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
@gt12 There were some stories going around end of last year / early pre season that sounded like he had some significant attitude and coach-ability problems. Potentially if my memory serves me right that emerged particularly in NPC last year?
That would make sense, if they are moving him on.
Not to be too much of a dick about it, but the landers aren't exactly landing spot no. 1 for highly rated young 10s, so I find it interesting.
If I was one, they would be. Better than sitting in the stands behind McKenzie + Jacomb, or Love + Harkin + Godfrey, or Kemara + Reihana + O'Connor, or even Beauden + Perofeta.
I'm with you, but equally if you are 18 and can learn from Dmac at the Chiefs, or from Barrett at the Blues, or go to the Landers and sink or swim with no senior players to learn from....
It's not like Jacomb doesn't get game time.
I think it is a tough ask to make the ABs as a backup first five though, because when the lights are truly on, McKenzie is always going to be at 10. Overthrowing the ABs 10 at SR Level is nye on impossible unless they age out, and DMac shouldn't.
As Tangitau and JRK have shown this year, if you are truly the business, you'll swim. Name me a good player who has genuinely sunk at the Highlanders in recent times? Maybe Pari Pari Parkinson?
Harry Plummer, Stephen Perofeta, Colin Slade, Tom Taylor, Brett Cameron
@gt12 said in Highlanders 2025:
@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
@gt12 said in Highlanders 2025:
@reprobate said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
@gt12 said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
@handa457 said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
@gt12 There were some stories going around end of last year / early pre season that sounded like he had some significant attitude and coach-ability problems. Potentially if my memory serves me right that emerged particularly in NPC last year?
That would make sense, if they are moving him on.
Not to be too much of a dick about it, but the landers aren't exactly landing spot no. 1 for highly rated young 10s, so I find it interesting.
If I was one, they would be. Better than sitting in the stands behind McKenzie + Jacomb, or Love + Harkin + Godfrey, or Kemara + Reihana + O'Connor, or even Beauden + Perofeta.
I'm with you, but equally if you are 18 and can learn from Dmac at the Chiefs, or from Barrett at the Blues, or go to the Landers and sink or swim with no senior players to learn from....
It's not like Jacomb doesn't get game time.
I think it is a tough ask to make the ABs as a backup first five though, because when the lights are truly on, McKenzie is always going to be at 10. Overthrowing the ABs 10 at SR Level is nye on impossible unless they age out, and DMac shouldn't.
As Tangitau and JRK have shown this year, if you are truly the business, you'll swim. Name me a good player who has genuinely sunk at the Highlanders in recent times? Maybe Pari Pari Parkinson?
Harry Plummer, Stephen Perofeta, Colin Slade, Tom Taylor, Brett Cameron
Plummer wasn't the backup - he started nearly every game because BB was overseas. Perofeta started 12 games the year he was picked, though granted some were at fullback (which is where he was more so picked for the ABs anyway), Slade and Taylor again, were playing regularly when selected. Cameron is the outlier, but he was a speculative pick...
And in many ways you prove my point, because outside of Slade, none of these guys have had an All Black career, which is what Jacomb will want.
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@gt12 said in Highlanders 2025:
@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
@gt12 said in Highlanders 2025:
@reprobate said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
@gt12 said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
@handa457 said in Highlanders Vs Chiefs:
@gt12 There were some stories going around end of last year / early pre season that sounded like he had some significant attitude and coach-ability problems. Potentially if my memory serves me right that emerged particularly in NPC last year?
That would make sense, if they are moving him on.
Not to be too much of a dick about it, but the landers aren't exactly landing spot no. 1 for highly rated young 10s, so I find it interesting.
If I was one, they would be. Better than sitting in the stands behind McKenzie + Jacomb, or Love + Harkin + Godfrey, or Kemara + Reihana + O'Connor, or even Beauden + Perofeta.
I'm with you, but equally if you are 18 and can learn from Dmac at the Chiefs, or from Barrett at the Blues, or go to the Landers and sink or swim with no senior players to learn from....
It's not like Jacomb doesn't get game time.
I think it is a tough ask to make the ABs as a backup first five though, because when the lights are truly on, McKenzie is always going to be at 10. Overthrowing the ABs 10 at SR Level is nye on impossible unless they age out, and DMac shouldn't.
As Tangitau and JRK have shown this year, if you are truly the business, you'll swim. Name me a good player who has genuinely sunk at the Highlanders in recent times? Maybe Pari Pari Parkinson?
Harry Plummer, Stephen Perofeta, Colin Slade, Tom Taylor, Brett Cameron
Plummer wasn't the backup - he started nearly every game because BB was overseas. Perofeta started 12 games the year he was picked, though granted some were at fullback (which is where he was more so picked for the ABs anyway), Slade and Taylor again, were playing regularly when selected. Cameron is the outlier, but he was a speculative pick...
And in many ways you prove my point, because outside of Slade, none of these guys have had an All Black career, which is what Jacomb will want.
They are all All blacks.
And, he's playing plenty - he has had 7 starts and 6 appearances off the bench.
It's not like he's lost as a squaddie turning out for the B team.Edit: Plummer is an excellent example btw - he was their 2nd choice who only got his opportunity to start due to Perofeta's injury (started first 6 games of 2024 before his injury I think). Plummer highlights why it may be better to stay with a high performing team, rather than move to a spooner and hope to be surrounding by quality.
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https://x.com/Highlanders/status/1927975696430944368
EDG locked in until 2027 too.
@Smudge said in Highlanders 2025:
https://x.com/Highlanders/status/1927975696430944368
EDG locked in until 2027 too.
Are the issues that led to EDG being excluded from
ABs selection a couple of times last year now dealt with? -
My thinking is they weren’t going to play him at Twickenham anyway - he’d been out of form and injured prior. But the curfew issue made it more of a story than it needed to be.
Jason Ryan went to his wedding over the summer so it can’t be that much of an issue.
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My thinking is they weren’t going to play him at Twickenham anyway - he’d been out of form and injured prior. But the curfew issue made it more of a story than it needed to be.
Jason Ryan went to his wedding over the summer so it can’t be that much of an issue.
He was left out of both the England and Ireland away tests last year because of what Scott Robertson called"internal standards" issues . He wasn't selected for the France game either.
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@Smudge said in Highlanders 2025:
https://x.com/Highlanders/status/1927975696430944368
EDG locked in until 2027 too.
Are the issues that led to EDG being excluded from
ABs selection a couple of times last year now dealt with?@sparky said in Highlanders 2025:
@Smudge said in Highlanders 2025:
https://x.com/Highlanders/status/1927975696430944368
EDG locked in until 2027 too.
Are the issues that led to EDG being excluded from
ABs selection a couple of times last year now dealt with?I just shared a X link, champ. Not sure what extra info you want from me.
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He was left out of both the England and Ireland away tests last year because of what Scott Robertson called"internal standards" issues . He wasn't selected for the France game either.
@sparky said in Highlanders 2025:
He was left out of both the England and Ireland away tests last year because of what Scott Robertson called"internal standards" issues . He wasn't selected for the France game either.
I know - sorry what I meant is that probably made it easier for them to make a call they probably were always going to make and start Tamaiti W.
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Josh Tengblad to play for Auckland in the NPC. Pissed off to hear this
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Josh Tengblad to play for Auckland in the NPC. Pissed off to hear this
@SouthernMann Where did you see that?
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From two sources. Not written anywhere.
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Josh Tengblad to play for Auckland in the NPC. Pissed off to hear this
@SouthernMann Is he signed up for the Highlanders for next year?
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Not sure. Have just heard he is going to play for Auckland.
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Not sure. Have just heard he is going to play for Auckland.
@SouthernMann interesting. Otago congratulated him this week on making the U20s, and he is listed as an Otago player.
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Two very different sources have told me all in the last couple of days
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Have heard that the highlanders have enquired about Fiti Sa from the Chiefs. Unsure on how long he’s currently contracted or if they would release him but if true could be a handy long term player alongside Holland
@Fredsaua12 said in Highlanders 2025:
Have heard that the highlanders have enquired about Fiti Sa from the Chiefs. Unsure on how long he’s currently contracted or if they would release him but if true could be a handy long term player alongside Holland
I asked around about this and it's true
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@SouthernMann interesting. Otago congratulated him this week on making the U20s, and he is listed as an Otago player.
@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
@SouthernMann interesting. Otago congratulated him this week on making the U20s, and he is listed as an Otago player.
Will be hugely disappointing. I can only go off two separate people saying it is going to happen.
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Bumped into someone else in rugby circles here who had heard the Jacomb rumour
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Bumped into someone else in rugby circles here who had heard the Jacomb rumour
@SouthernMann Staying with Chiefs or moving to Highlanders?
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Moving to Highlanders.
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@sparky said in Highlanders 2025:
@Smudge said in Highlanders 2025:
https://x.com/Highlanders/status/1927975696430944368
EDG locked in until 2027 too.
Are the issues that led to EDG being excluded from
ABs selection a couple of times last year now dealt with?I just shared a X link, champ. Not sure what extra info you want from me.
