Highlanders 2025
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Haig playing number eight for Green Island tomorrow, so that's another one who should be back for next week... win this week, take full points next week, and we are back in the running I reckon.
@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
Haig playing number eight for Green Island tomorrow, so that's another one who should be back for next week... win this week, take full points next week, and we are back in the running I reckon.
Few names in that game. Tai Cribb at lock and Jake Te Hiwi at 12 for GI. Kaikorai have Hayden Michaels at 8 and Dylan Pledger at 10, they also have Gregor Rutledge on the bench.
Taieri with Jack Sexton at prop, Cam Millar at 10, Matt Whaanga 13 and Josh Whaanga 14, JRK at 15. AU do have Fakatava but it could be a long day for them.
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Kaik running Pledger at is interesting. I'd prefer he stays at halfback. Probably just Kaik fitting him in and utilising his skillset.
Mika Muliaina also getting his first run at 10 for Uni today.
Harbour fairly stacked with imports.
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Kaik running Pledger at is interesting. I'd prefer he stays at halfback. Probably just Kaik fitting him in and utilising his skillset.
Mika Muliaina also getting his first run at 10 for Uni today.
Harbour fairly stacked with imports.
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@SouthernMann Their biggest who played for the Waratahs is playing club footy in Christchurch this weekend. Wonder what went wrong there… wonder if that Harbour Hawks bloke in here can give us the details
@Landers92 said in Highlanders 2025:
@SouthernMann Their biggest who played for the Waratahs is playing club footy in Christchurch this weekend. Wonder what went wrong there… wonder if that Harbour Hawks bloke in here can give us the details
I think I've seen photos of him in Crusaders WTG pictures.
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Kaik running Pledger at is interesting. I'd prefer he stays at halfback. Probably just Kaik fitting him in and utilising his skillset.
Mika Muliaina also getting his first run at 10 for Uni today.
Harbour fairly stacked with imports.
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
Kaik running Pledger at is interesting. I'd prefer he stays at halfback. Probably just Kaik fitting him in and utilising his skillset.
Mika Muliaina also getting his first run at 10 for Uni today.
Harbour fairly stacked with imports.
Kaik's 10 has broken his hand, so he's had to shift there...
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@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
Kaik running Pledger at is interesting. I'd prefer he stays at halfback. Probably just Kaik fitting him in and utilising his skillset.
Mika Muliaina also getting his first run at 10 for Uni today.
Harbour fairly stacked with imports.
Kaik's 10 has broken his hand, so he's had to shift there...
@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
Kaik running Pledger at is interesting. I'd prefer he stays at halfback. Probably just Kaik fitting him in and utilising his skillset.
Mika Muliaina also getting his first run at 10 for Uni today.
Harbour fairly stacked with imports.
Kaik's 10 has broken his hand, so he's had to shift there...
Which is fair. Especially if he is only going to play a couple of games before going to NZ U20s
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First game I've turned off for the year. Shithouse
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First game I've turned off for the year. Shithouse
@SouthernMann said in Highlanders 2025:
First game I've turned off for the year. Shithouse
Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll be able to draw plenty of positives from it. The experience will be vital for our inexperienced players against the Drua next week…
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Same players, same shit performance... Jamie Joseph has to take a portion of the blame for this.
We've ultimately gone into the year with just two locks, and their form is now faltering, because they have not been properly rotated.
We've gone into the season with Broughton (Too small), Renton (Too slow) & Stodart (Not rated seemingly) as number eight options, which has failed us, so we are now stuck with playing two openside flankers, which has very rarely been a successful strategy for any team above NPC level. If you have two All Blacks, maybe, but neither Withy nor Lasaqa are anywhere near a black jersey.
At first five, he's been purely stubborn with Taine Robinson, who started well, but his form has faded with the team's. Millar has been fit for the past two weeks, but they decided against taking him to Australia. Is he perfect? No, but he does at least have the ability to control a game with his boot, so it means will be dropping it in the 22, rather than on halfway.
The rest of the backs have generally been good, and at fullback, I maintain his hands are tied behind his back with JRK ruled out, because frankly every other option has showed their limitations.
Barring a miracle turnaround, our season is over - I want sweeping changes next week.
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Same players, same shit performance... Jamie Joseph has to take a portion of the blame for this.
We've ultimately gone into the year with just two locks, and their form is now faltering, because they have not been properly rotated.
We've gone into the season with Broughton (Too small), Renton (Too slow) & Stodart (Not rated seemingly) as number eight options, which has failed us, so we are now stuck with playing two openside flankers, which has very rarely been a successful strategy for any team above NPC level. If you have two All Blacks, maybe, but neither Withy nor Lasaqa are anywhere near a black jersey.
At first five, he's been purely stubborn with Taine Robinson, who started well, but his form has faded with the team's. Millar has been fit for the past two weeks, but they decided against taking him to Australia. Is he perfect? No, but he does at least have the ability to control a game with his boot, so it means will be dropping it in the 22, rather than on halfway.
The rest of the backs have generally been good, and at fullback, I maintain his hands are tied behind his back with JRK ruled out, because frankly every other option has showed their limitations.
Barring a miracle turnaround, our season is over - I want sweeping changes next week.
@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
Same players, same shit performance... Jamie Joseph has to take a portion of the blame for this.
We've ultimately gone into the year with just two locks, and their form is now faltering, because they have not been properly rotated.
We've gone into the season with Broughton (Too small), Renton (Too slow) & Stodart (Not rated seemingly) as number eight options, which has failed us, so we are now stuck with playing two openside flankers, which has very rarely been a successful strategy for any team above NPC level. If you have two All Blacks, maybe, but neither Withy nor Lasaqa are anywhere near a black jersey.
At first five, he's been purely stubborn with Taine Robinson, who started well, but his form has faded with the team's. Millar has been fit for the past two weeks, but they decided against taking him to Australia. Is he perfect? No, but he does at least have the ability to control a game with his boot, so it means will be dropping it in the 22, rather than on halfway.
The rest of the backs have generally been good, and at fullback, I maintain his hands are tied behind his back with JRK ruled out, because frankly every other option has showed their limitations.
Barring a miracle turnaround, our season is over - I want sweeping changes next week.
Hey hey hey. Isn’t this just unnecessarily negative…?
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@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
Same players, same shit performance... Jamie Joseph has to take a portion of the blame for this.
We've ultimately gone into the year with just two locks, and their form is now faltering, because they have not been properly rotated.
We've gone into the season with Broughton (Too small), Renton (Too slow) & Stodart (Not rated seemingly) as number eight options, which has failed us, so we are now stuck with playing two openside flankers, which has very rarely been a successful strategy for any team above NPC level. If you have two All Blacks, maybe, but neither Withy nor Lasaqa are anywhere near a black jersey.
At first five, he's been purely stubborn with Taine Robinson, who started well, but his form has faded with the team's. Millar has been fit for the past two weeks, but they decided against taking him to Australia. Is he perfect? No, but he does at least have the ability to control a game with his boot, so it means will be dropping it in the 22, rather than on halfway.
The rest of the backs have generally been good, and at fullback, I maintain his hands are tied behind his back with JRK ruled out, because frankly every other option has showed their limitations.
Barring a miracle turnaround, our season is over - I want sweeping changes next week.
Hey hey hey. Isn’t this just unnecessarily negative…?
@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders 2025:
@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
Same players, same shit performance... Jamie Joseph has to take a portion of the blame for this.
We've ultimately gone into the year with just two locks, and their form is now faltering, because they have not been properly rotated.
We've gone into the season with Broughton (Too small), Renton (Too slow) & Stodart (Not rated seemingly) as number eight options, which has failed us, so we are now stuck with playing two openside flankers, which has very rarely been a successful strategy for any team above NPC level. If you have two All Blacks, maybe, but neither Withy nor Lasaqa are anywhere near a black jersey.
At first five, he's been purely stubborn with Taine Robinson, who started well, but his form has faded with the team's. Millar has been fit for the past two weeks, but they decided against taking him to Australia. Is he perfect? No, but he does at least have the ability to control a game with his boot, so it means will be dropping it in the 22, rather than on halfway.
The rest of the backs have generally been good, and at fullback, I maintain his hands are tied behind his back with JRK ruled out, because frankly every other option has showed their limitations.
Barring a miracle turnaround, our season is over - I want sweeping changes next week.
Hey hey hey. Isn’t this just unnecessarily negative…?
No I don't think so. This performance was a step backwards from last week, and I think some of the chickens have come home to roost.
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@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders 2025:
@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
Same players, same shit performance... Jamie Joseph has to take a portion of the blame for this.
We've ultimately gone into the year with just two locks, and their form is now faltering, because they have not been properly rotated.
We've gone into the season with Broughton (Too small), Renton (Too slow) & Stodart (Not rated seemingly) as number eight options, which has failed us, so we are now stuck with playing two openside flankers, which has very rarely been a successful strategy for any team above NPC level. If you have two All Blacks, maybe, but neither Withy nor Lasaqa are anywhere near a black jersey.
At first five, he's been purely stubborn with Taine Robinson, who started well, but his form has faded with the team's. Millar has been fit for the past two weeks, but they decided against taking him to Australia. Is he perfect? No, but he does at least have the ability to control a game with his boot, so it means will be dropping it in the 22, rather than on halfway.
The rest of the backs have generally been good, and at fullback, I maintain his hands are tied behind his back with JRK ruled out, because frankly every other option has showed their limitations.
Barring a miracle turnaround, our season is over - I want sweeping changes next week.
Hey hey hey. Isn’t this just unnecessarily negative…?
No I don't think so. This performance was a step backwards from last week, and I think some of the chickens have come home to roost.
@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders 2025:
@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
Same players, same shit performance... Jamie Joseph has to take a portion of the blame for this.
We've ultimately gone into the year with just two locks, and their form is now faltering, because they have not been properly rotated.
We've gone into the season with Broughton (Too small), Renton (Too slow) & Stodart (Not rated seemingly) as number eight options, which has failed us, so we are now stuck with playing two openside flankers, which has very rarely been a successful strategy for any team above NPC level. If you have two All Blacks, maybe, but neither Withy nor Lasaqa are anywhere near a black jersey.
At first five, he's been purely stubborn with Taine Robinson, who started well, but his form has faded with the team's. Millar has been fit for the past two weeks, but they decided against taking him to Australia. Is he perfect? No, but he does at least have the ability to control a game with his boot, so it means will be dropping it in the 22, rather than on halfway.
The rest of the backs have generally been good, and at fullback, I maintain his hands are tied behind his back with JRK ruled out, because frankly every other option has showed their limitations.
Barring a miracle turnaround, our season is over - I want sweeping changes next week.
Hey hey hey. Isn’t this just unnecessarily negative…?
No I don't think so. This performance was a step backwards from last week, and I think some of the chickens have come home to roost.
I’m taking the piss out of your reply to my almost exact comment last week. I’d go further to say the problem isn’t just on the surface and inexperience. It’s a systemic problem of players having zero discipline, skill, and rugby know how. The writing was on the wall for a performance like this. I’m not sure why anyone is surprised
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@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
@KiwiInLondon said in Highlanders 2025:
@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
Same players, same shit performance... Jamie Joseph has to take a portion of the blame for this.
We've ultimately gone into the year with just two locks, and their form is now faltering, because they have not been properly rotated.
We've gone into the season with Broughton (Too small), Renton (Too slow) & Stodart (Not rated seemingly) as number eight options, which has failed us, so we are now stuck with playing two openside flankers, which has very rarely been a successful strategy for any team above NPC level. If you have two All Blacks, maybe, but neither Withy nor Lasaqa are anywhere near a black jersey.
At first five, he's been purely stubborn with Taine Robinson, who started well, but his form has faded with the team's. Millar has been fit for the past two weeks, but they decided against taking him to Australia. Is he perfect? No, but he does at least have the ability to control a game with his boot, so it means will be dropping it in the 22, rather than on halfway.
The rest of the backs have generally been good, and at fullback, I maintain his hands are tied behind his back with JRK ruled out, because frankly every other option has showed their limitations.
Barring a miracle turnaround, our season is over - I want sweeping changes next week.
Hey hey hey. Isn’t this just unnecessarily negative…?
No I don't think so. This performance was a step backwards from last week, and I think some of the chickens have come home to roost.
I’m taking the piss out of your reply to my almost exact comment last week. I’d go further to say the problem isn’t just on the surface and inexperience. It’s a systemic problem of players having zero discipline, skill, and rugby know how. The writing was on the wall for a performance like this. I’m not sure why anyone is surprised
@KiwiInLondon I personally thought your comments last week weren't justified, and I still wouldn't go that far.
We were poor against the Canes, but should of won, and then were actually largely decent enough against the Reds & Brumbies, but failed to bury the game and were punished for it.
This week, we were either going to win, or the performance levels were going to dip further, and and unfortunately it was the latter. Playing with 14 for half an hour didn't help, but outside of a couple of individual moments, we were poor - and I think, as I say, JJ has to take some blame for it.
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@KiwiInLondon I personally thought your comments last week weren't justified, and I still wouldn't go that far.
We were poor against the Canes, but should of won, and then were actually largely decent enough against the Reds & Brumbies, but failed to bury the game and were punished for it.
This week, we were either going to win, or the performance levels were going to dip further, and and unfortunately it was the latter. Playing with 14 for half an hour didn't help, but outside of a couple of individual moments, we were poor - and I think, as I say, JJ has to take some blame for it.
@frugby said in Highlanders 2025:
@KiwiInLondon I personally thought your comments last week weren't justified, and I still wouldn't go that far.
We were poor against the Canes, but should of won, and then were actually largely decent enough against the Reds & Brumbies, but failed to bury the game and were punished for it.
This week, we were either going to win, or the performance levels were going to dip further, and and unfortunately it was the latter. Playing with 14 for half an hour didn't help, but outside of a couple of individual moments, we were poor - and I think, as I say, JJ has to take some blame for it.
We’ll see how you feel after a 3-4 win season. Apply the “outside a couple of individual moments, the team poor” to the entire season. Not a single player in the team from last season has substantially improved. A few have gone backwards.
Same issues as last season, and the season before, and the season before that. The personnel have shifted but it’s the same old issues. I can’t keep the positivity up season after season.
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It was always clear there was going to be an I told you so post by Mr InLondon post this performance.
Negativity is fine. If there is reflection and reality paired with it. Being negative with a single performance is fine.
But, what is the solution?
As I said. It is easy to say get better players, don't sign that guy to long-term deals, and just be better. The reality is more difficult.
This is the long-term approach. We got the coach back everyone wanted. Are we happy with a 3-4 win season. Nah. Have we reduced the loss margins. Yeah.
Some little positives from last night
Scrum was better under Way's whistle
Nareki was sharp in the first half
TUJ looked good running wideOur loosies are running on fumes at the moment. Especially if Withy gets suspended. One of Howden or Haig may need to play eight.
Being negative is fine. It is exhausting though.
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I think it is important to note, that as I said before the season, we could get better, but get worse outcomes, because those around us have got better.
We won’t make the top six from here you wouldn’t think, but if we win 2/5 against the Chiefs, Crusaders & Hurricanes it would be tough to say there hasn’t been progress.
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It’s a hard one for the coaches but I’m sure Jamie Joseph already knows who he wants, or doesn’t want for that matter, out there starting next week against the Drua.
In my opinion, I think Tele’a offers us so much stability in the midfield, most notably in defense. Nothing against Umaga-Jenson, he has actually been great since returning, but Tele’a just seems to be provide stability and seemed to have a nice combination with Tavatavanawai.
Next week id like to see Millar back in 10, Taine Robinsons last 2 weeks have been well below expectations and doesn’t deserve to start next week.
Tele’a back in 13.
If Haig is fit, back in the 23 for Loft, if Withy is suspended along with Broughton and Renton still out injured it could mean running Stodart at 8(which is his preferred position anyway).
Fakatava in for Lennox.
Unfortunately, in week 9 , we are in a position where we just need to win a game. Can put a line through the top 6, but a win would at least boost the spirits and hopefully get us back to earlier season form. Would also help prevent the wheels from falling completely off.
On to next week.
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Renton should be back, he warmed up with the team I noticed:
- de Groot
- Bell
- Kautai
- Holland
- Stodart
- Haig
- Loft
- Renton
- Fakatava
- Millar
- Nareki
- Umaga-Jensen
- Tele’a
- Tavatavanawai
- Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens
- Vikena
- Bartlett
- Ma’u
- Howden
- Broughton
- Hastie
- Robinson (To come on at 15)
- J Whaanga
Season is gone, a few guys (like Tangitau, Dunshea & Lasaqa) could do with a rest, so give them one. I think this would be a decent game to see how Josh Whaanga copes at this level, especially as they have given him a three year contract
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I'll be very surprised if we see Josh Whaanga this year. I'm just not sure what they see him as, right now. He is an absolute beanpole. Which means even at just under 100kgs he is pretty lean. Probably doesn't have the top end pace to be competitive as a winger. However it is where he was named for Taieri on the weekend. If he is to be a Super centre. He probably needs to be playing at about 110kg.
Nice to see you are persevering with your dream of Henry Bell starting.
The big storylines next week will be how Haig and JRK are integrated back into the side
