Otago 2025
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Ale Aho has popped up, playing for Southland.
@SouthernMann said in Otago 2025:
Ale Aho has popped up, playing for Southland.
Southland socials are usually pretty good with announcements, but that one really came out of the blue.
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Few notable inclusions for the two dirt trackers sides named for the weekend.
- Josh Tengblad is making his return from injury
- Jake Te Hiwi also returning from injury
- Lolofie, Ratcliffe, Toleafoa, Rangitutia all lining up
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Josh Whaanga making his return from injury rhis weekend off the bench in B footy.
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Josh Whaanga making his return from injury rhis weekend off the bench in B footy.
@SouthernMann good to see him back. It’s a good month or so earlier than expected. Hope he isn’t being rushed back
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Taranaki next week will give a clear indication of where we are at. Win that and we are steaming towards a top four spot.
In past seasons we probably just put too much on some of the younger guys too early. Just because players make NZ U20s doesn’t mean they are ready to play provincial or Super rugby straight away.
There are probably one or two per team who can go straight in to matching it in men's footy. Luckily we have one in the Dylan Pledger.
Guys like Te Hiwi, Stodart, Casey, Whaanga are making decent strides. Have filled out too.
What I'm getting to is, we are seeing the value or having guys in the system. A lot was just expected of them in previous years when they weren't ready.
It is a tough balancing act, as players expect to get first team time and they may leave if they are stuck playing club or B footy.
As a living example we are seeing it with Auckland and it pretty much running an acadamey team. Manawatu who have been pushing a lot of young guys for a few years is seeing success too.
It would be good as well if more than 2k went to the games.
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Taranaki next week will give a clear indication of where we are at. Win that and we are steaming towards a top four spot.
In past seasons we probably just put too much on some of the younger guys too early. Just because players make NZ U20s doesn’t mean they are ready to play provincial or Super rugby straight away.
There are probably one or two per team who can go straight in to matching it in men's footy. Luckily we have one in the Dylan Pledger.
Guys like Te Hiwi, Stodart, Casey, Whaanga are making decent strides. Have filled out too.
What I'm getting to is, we are seeing the value or having guys in the system. A lot was just expected of them in previous years when they weren't ready.
It is a tough balancing act, as players expect to get first team time and they may leave if they are stuck playing club or B footy.
As a living example we are seeing it with Auckland and it pretty much running an acadamey team. Manawatu who have been pushing a lot of young guys for a few years is seeing success too.
It would be good as well if more than 2k went to the games.
@SouthernMann said in Otago 2025:
Taranaki next week will give a clear indication of where we are at. Win that and we are steaming towards a top four spot.
In past seasons we probably just put too much on some of the younger guys too early. Just because players make NZ U20s doesn’t mean they are ready to play provincial or Super rugby straight away.
There are probably one or two per team who can go straight in to matching it in men's footy. Luckily we have one in the Dylan Pledger.
Guys like Te Hiwi, Stodart, Casey, Whaanga are making decent strides. Have filled out too.
What I'm getting to is, we are seeing the value or having guys in the system. A lot was just expected of them in previous years when they weren't ready.
It is a tough balancing act, as players expect to get first team time and they may leave if they are stuck playing club or B footy.
As a living example we are seeing it with Auckland and it pretty much running an acadamey team. Manawatu who have been pushing a lot of young guys for a few years is seeing success too.
It would be good as well if more than 2k went to the games.
It’s been good progress. Just a shame Millar has regressed so much since last NPC season, where I thought he played pretty well.
Got the two top teams then the two bottom teams to finish. If we can squeeze out two bonus point losses or a win and a loss and then two bonus points wins, should see at least a top 4 finish
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@jimmyb I think Millar is playing to his level of capability. It is just that some fans thought he was going to be better than that.
He was always a 10 focused around kicking, with a decent flat pass. Is not an attacking threat outside of that. Never has been. His tries have come from intercepts and running support lines. He lacks the strength in contact that others have and is a bit of a liability under the highball.
Where he seems to have regressed is with his goal kicking and general play. We have been lucky that Pledger has come in and become the primary playmaker. He plays a role in so many of our tries.
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@jimmyb I think Millar is playing to his level of capability. It is just that some fans thought he was going to be better than that.
He was always a 10 focused around kicking, with a decent flat pass. Is not an attacking threat outside of that. Never has been. His tries have come from intercepts and running support lines. He lacks the strength in contact that others have and is a bit of a liability under the highball.
Where he seems to have regressed is with his goal kicking and general play. We have been lucky that Pledger has come in and become the primary playmaker. He plays a role in so many of our tries.
@SouthernMann I can see both sides of the coin, and I’m not convinced about this being his upper limit.
While I agree with all your points about strengths and weaknesses, they were all true two to three seasons ago. Good coaches and players both work on improving and plan to mitigate these.
To me, he’s a player who came on the scene with exceptional game management and kicking from a young age. Yet he hasn’t grown his game and seems to have plateaued in the core areas that were once his strengths.
That puzzles me, because based on his performances for Otago—and even in 2024—you’d have been forgiven for thinking he had a very high ceiling.
That’s not just my opinion. Apparently Razor was really keeping an eye on him last year, and if you watched the way he played during that string of games at the end of 2024, there was good reason to believe he was going places.
To me, it feels like he’s lost confidence, been mismanaged, and hasn’t really worked on things like his running game and strength in contact to improve.
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i kind of think millar fits whats we're doing, he's got a combo of potential firecrackers like nareki....and some enthusiastic youth...and irratic journymen all around him....a steady hand that will kick for territory, generally good kicking % and solid distribution fills things out nicely
watching the game on friday the thing that stood out is the confidence in themselves and each other, guys were having cracks...and supporting others having cracks...so when someone may a half break there was almost always someone on their shoulder to secure the ball if not carry things on. add to that the general skill level seems that little bit better, more 50/50 balls going to hand than not
winning more games than we loose would be amazing
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Left at the end of 2023. Played for Kaik.
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just saw this on the socials, one that slipped through? or had ties up north? curious
@Kiwiwomble said in Otago 2025:
just saw this on the socials, one that slipped through? or had ties up north? curious
Behind Hammington, Arscott & Hastie.
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@Kiwiwomble said in Otago 2025:
just saw this on the socials, one that slipped through? or had ties up north? curious
Behind Hammington, Arscott & Hastie.
@frugby i admit i wasn;t sure what position he played, that tells me everything
good for him though
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Highly likely he left because he finished his degree. Like most other young people. Finished at the end of 2023. Grad gig at the beginning of 2024. Not everything is about footy.
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Looks like I'm no longer locked out lol anyways just so pleased with Otago this season. Mark brown seems a good coach, something as simple as playing Will Stodart in his natural position of loose forward rather than lock just is logical, loving that Nareki is having an injury free run (hope I haven't jinxed him) Pledger and Millar a halves combo that are flourishing, Lio-Willie a big loss this weekend however Trust this team to give a good account of themselves
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Re watched the game and it really stood out that every player 1-23 played well and most importantly, fulfilled the role of their position. The team looked incredibly balanced.
What I think was underrated was how well the high ball went. Nemek-Val, Millar, and Broomfield won every ball that was kicked to them.
High hopes play off time
