Great acquisition with Pearce. I do hope Ben Lopas can have a good season. I enjoy watching him go about his work.
Pole is not the sort of guy I would have wanted at the Landers. Good luck to him in Div 3 France.
@frugby said in Otago 2026:
Marley Pearce has been signed for the season ahead. He will replace Abraham Pole who is no longer available due to his European contract.
He’s been a good Fantasy pick the last couple years.
Hopefully we should see a full-strength side run out against Mid Canterbury next weekend.
Quite a few young lads included off the bench.
Ma'u, Timani, Casey, Lio-Willie, Lam, Millar, Pellegrini, Nareki, Hurley and Timu to come into the best 23.
Want to see that midfield combination persevered with.
@SouthernMann Poor old Mid-Canterbury. That could be a cricket score.
@frugby said in Otago 2026:
Canterbury. That could be
Hopefully it is 14c and sunny Alexandra day. Not a 3c and snowy Alexandra day.
@SouthernMann said in Otago 2026:
@frugby said in Otago 2026:
Canterbury. That could be
Hopefully it is 14c and sunny Alexandra day. Not a 3c and snowy Alexandra day.
I could go a bob each way.
Teams for the club final tomorrow.
Stream available here: https://www.facebook.com/OtagoCR. Should be up just before the 3 PM kick off.
@steven-harris and @taniwharugby your Northland boy Brock Reid is coming off the bench for Kaikorai. Your other Northland boy, who is a full-blown southern lad is captaining Kaik.
@SouthernMann Brock Reid was the standout player in the Harbour XV final last year will curious to see if he’s grown any taller as his dad Hamish is 6’6
That Kaikorai 8 goes pretty good 
Comfortable 31 - 5 win for Otago.
Curious player has popped up down in Dunedin and was on the bench today.
Reimana Saunderson-Rurawhe seems he made the move down earlier this year and is in the academy. Is out of Westlake Boys. Had a runaround for North Harbour pre-season?
Any of the lads up north know much about him? Bit of talent to him? @steven-harris and @uptheharbs ?
@SouthernMann looks to have decent size and good feet. Not sure how quick he is by that clip
Reimana Saunderson-Rurawhe came through the U18 development pathway. He was in the 2024 Barbarians U18s (at centre) that included a number of the current NZ U20 players.
@SouthernMann said in Otago 2026:
Comfortable 31 - 5 win for Otago.
Curious player has popped up down in Dunedin and was on the bench today.
Reimana Saunderson-Rurawhe seems he made the move down earlier this year and is in the academy. Is out of Westlake Boys. Had a runaround for North Harbour pre-season?
Any of the lads up north know much about him? Bit of talent to him? @steven-harris and @uptheharbs ?
Seen him play from his time at WBHS, yeah, very quick and excellent footwork, seemed to be well regarded up there.
random thought
i really love what Gilbert have done re kit for Otago...lots of cools things over the years....i hate how they only use renders of things in the online shop and not actual pictures
Mark Brown yarning on SportNation.
Few key points.
- Holland is expected to get some minutes on Friday
- Pledger is highly unlikely to play in the NPC
- talks about the gap between club and NPC
Apart from Holland we can say the rest is NPC focused.
we will roll out a very strong pack.
Other big selection is the return of Finn Hurley.
A bit pissed off from a Highlanders perspective that Timu is preferred over Whaanga. We need him starting at centre.
