Highlanders 2027

@handa457 said in Highlanders 2027:

@Canes4life kinda wild looking at that team some of the battlers in it. Pingi Tala'apitaga was a bit of a one season wonder from memory. Ross Gelenhuys probably holds the record for most super rugby franchises represented. Trent Renata and Kurt Baker were not really super rugby level.

While Ryan Tongia was a talent that never really kicked on. Reminds me a bit of a Villi Koroi, lots of potential but not much staying power.

JJ really did an amazing job of getting some bang average guys to play to their fullest potential

i liked Kurt Baker, i think if he could have strung a full season in a position together he would have bene good

@Kiwiwomble was never quite the same after those stress fractures in his spine. Hell of a player on his day

@landers92 said in Highlanders 2027:

Had a chat with a mate last night. Has an extremely reliable contact. They have started looking overseas for what midfielders are available that would fit what they are looking for.

Any update on this @landers92

@upthelanders said in Highlanders 2027:

@landers92 said in Highlanders 2027:

Had a chat with a mate last night. Has an extremely reliable contact. They have started looking overseas for what midfielders are available that would fit what they are looking for.

Any update on this @landers92

Zilch.

@frugby mentioned they likely signed Te Hiwi recently so it can’t be going too well.

Surely Dylan Riley wants to test himself in SR?

The fact that he combines the names of two non playing best rugby player ever legends is a cherry on top.

@landers92 so in all likelihood we’re starting down the barrel of Te Hiwi, Grindlay, Whaanga, Pasetoa and Big Jim being our centres with Nareki covering thirteen as well? None of which (outside Jim & Nareki) exactly set the world on fire.

Huge shame that we seem not to have landed Taele (going off the chat in the thread this isn’t new info).

Bit hard to know who we’d keep next season anyway. Theres a scenario where Big Jim calls it quits if he dosnt see a future with the all blacks and Nareki heads offshore, and we’re left in a bang average place.

Really hoping some of those lads have a good NPC to install some confidence in us.

@handa457 midfield is such an odd position nationally.

I think I worked out more than 40% of the Super midfield backs are leaving.

Just no depth guys who are ready to step up that teams can pick off. They are all needed where they are from. An absolute player's market.

If we can't land a starting ready centre, I fully expect Jona Nareki will be our primary 13 next season. Based on the mentality that he is as good as a 13 as the other options. However, Hurley is a better fullback and Tito-Harris is a better winger than the other centre options are centres.

I wouldn't be surprised if we go Nareki at 13, JRK on a wing and Hurley at the back. Get the best attacking weapons on the field.

I'm not giving up on Te Hiwi yet. A frustration will be if Timu jams up the centre role for Otago.

@southernmann Agree with you on all those points. I Do wonder if JRK might play a bit more freely on the wing. Have sometimes felt he overplays his hand at fullback. Just trying to create too much in a team that hasn't always been firing on all cylinders. Hurley starting at fullback is a tasty idea.

Te Hiwi has a lot of upside. But it's how injury prone the combination of Nareki, Hurley and Te Hiwi are that worries me. When close to half the starting and bench players in your backline are made of glass and depth is already a problem it leaves me without much optimism. Not a lot to be done about it. And you are right that midfield nationally is very odd. Small comfort that everyone's in the same position I suppose.

I hope they recruit a proper 13 instead of retredding Nareki, I think he would be stopgap like Lowe at best. Not sure there are many decent 13s out there given how many have left for overseas but hopefully a few put up their hands in the NPC

@ruggersman I'd be more than happy with a "stopgap" that plays to the level Lowe did this year.

@bones the much maligned Lowe should never have to pay for a Speights south of the Waitaki after the season he just had.

Proved what an injury free run, and some faith from the coaching staff can do. Which to be fair. I desperately hope is true of Te Hiwi as well.

@landers92 said in Highlanders 2027:

@upthelanders said in Highlanders 2027:

@landers92 said in Highlanders 2027:

Had a chat with a mate last night. Has an extremely reliable contact. They have started looking overseas for what midfielders are available that would fit what they are looking for.

Any update on this @landers92

Zilch.

@frugby mentioned they likely signed Te Hiwi recently so it can’t be going too well.

Yes not 100% on this but have heard this is possibly the case.

@ruggersman said in Highlanders 2027:

I hope they recruit a proper 13 instead of retredding Nareki, I think he would be stopgap like Lowe at best. Not sure there are many decent 13s out there given how many have left for overseas but hopefully a few put up their hands in the NPC

You have answered your own wish.

There are no decent options out there. The recruitment team has kncoked on several doors, including overseas.

Huge number of midfielders have left. It is a highly competitive position. Teams are either recruiting kids and playing the patient game or bringing in NPC standard guys. None of which are viable options for the Highlanders need.

We all want the golden goose. Sadly, they aren't laying at the moment.

If the stories that we approached Taele are true I am a bit miffed he rebuffed them. Dosent make a lot of sense to be sitting behind Reiko Ioane when you could starting down south. But each to their own.

I know Seta Taminvalu is back in the country. He might be one to keep an eye on in NPC.

@handa457 said in Highlanders 2027:

If the stories that we approached Taele are true I am a bit miffed he rebuffed them. Dosent make a lot of sense to be sitting behind Reiko Ioane when you could starting down south. But each to their own.

He’ll probably be starting every week at 12

Is 2027 Joseph's final year to pitch his case for another cracking at the top job?

@sbw1 said in Highlanders 2027:

Is 2027 Joseph's final year to pitch his case for another cracking at the top job?

I'd way the most likely option is that he gets extended by the Highlanders for another two years.

Something would have to go poorly with the current administration for there to be a re-draw of the coaching set up.

27 - 29 will be Joseph's opportunity to show what he can do with 'his squad' at the Highlanders.

Who is predicting the Landers to be the biggest improves next year?

@sbw1 said in Highlanders 2027:

Who is predicting the Landers to be the biggest improves next year?

If we aren't it sits on the shoulder of Joseph and Clark. Clark is the longest standing CEO. With one of the poorest performing sides on the field. The squad is the best we have out together in my memory. Eyes can only go to the office if there is not a major improvement.

@southernmann There needs to be a serious tactical shift to take advantage of the squad they have. Having had a look at the Optus Club rugby stats from this year, it paints a pretty interesting picture of what the Highlanders were doing compared to other clubs, both in super rugby and the rest of the world.

This isn't a bitch session about Joseph, it's pointing out some fairly fatal flaws in how the team operates.

To start with the good, it's fairly obvious that the individual talent in the team offers more than enough on attack and defence. Across all comps (SR, URC, Prem, Top14 - 51 teams total) the Landers actually sit 2nd in dominant carries and tackle evasion %. They also sit well enough on tackle %, gain line denial, and dominant tackles. They also sit 5th in the world (and top of SR) in rucks per jackal.

But what is also highlighted is the obvious issues in attack and game style. A few headliners:

• Lowest (in the world) for 5+ phases and rank 6th (1st in SR) in % of phases ended by a kick. Only 6.5% of those kicks were contested (46th in the world and 10th in SR).

• Slowest ruck speed in SR (40th in the world)

• Worst touches per error (24) in SR (41th W).

• Offload success rate is ranked 10th SR (48th W)

• Where they attack from phase (within SR):

  • 8th in blindside

  • 10th <10m

  • 1st 20m+

  • 4th wider than 1st receiver

• Source of tries:

  • 9th set piece

  • 10th from turnover

  • 4th kick return

  • Last from 10m set piece to try% (24%, next worse is Moana at 34%)

The Landers rank 1st in dominant carries but they rank 9th in % of carries over the gain line. While they have players that can consistently dominate contact and beat defenders, the attacking shape is so poor that it is almost completely mitigated by the fact they are getting hit well behind the gain line.

There is actually a lot of individual talent in the squad, but the game plan has to change, particularly around attack. To have the lowest 5+ ruck stat out of all club teams (only go over 5+ phases 9% of the time) with no contestable kicks is insanity with the way rugby is being played. A strike rate of 24% from set piece within 10m from the line (almost identical to what it was last year) completely negates any advantage the scrum gives. The coaching appointments this off season are probably more critical than any new players. The team desperately needs an accomplished (preferably overseas) attack coach and assistant coach.

@jimmyb I don't disagree with what you are saying.

It is clear they tried to execute a game plan to open up space for the back three. It reflected a lack of trust in the players wearing 9 and 10. The non-traditional playing style of our 12 and the fact we had wingers wearing 13.

Having more ball carriers in the pack and players in the 9&10 jerseys who are more attacking minded we will spread the threats with ball in hand across the park more. Increasing the attacking threats will mean there are more players for the defending sides to focus on.

I think it was the game against the Crusaders in Christchurch, where in the week after Nareki said they went away from their game plan and held the ball too much in the final 30. The 2026 squad was focused on not holding the ball for a period of time.

They tried to develop a game plan to assist in prioritising the squad's strengths. When it worked, it looked great. When it didn't it was a painful watch.

I think we can expect the group next year to maintain a strong scrum, that the lineout will improve, carriers from the loosies should be more dominant and most importantly from an attacking perspective more will be driven out of the 9&10 jerseys.

@sbw1 said in Highlanders 2027:

Who is predicting the Landers to be the biggest improves next year?

I think the Landers and Blues will make the biggest improvement for different reasons. Chiefs are my favourites for next year so if they improve on this year, they simply win the comp. With the loss of experienced backline members in Havili, Reece, McLeod and Ennor, I think the Crusaders will be in a similar position to this year where they win most of their games at home, but drop some key games away. Pretty hard for the Canes to improve on what they did in 2026, so I have them not being as well rounded in 2027 but still challenging for the title - Dearns, Flanders and Fehi being massive losses.

Big call, but I'm picking the Landers to be semi-finalists at the very least if they can keep everyone healthy.

It was kind of a weird year tactically. I think you go in to the year basing your game around Holland's lineout dominance, scrum dominance, Millar's kicking, contestable kicking, and defence.

Then you lose Holland. Lavanini unfit. Lineout goes to shit.

Scrum dominance is great, win a penalty go to attacking lineout... then lose the ball.

The halfback merry-go-round, which started out with Fakatava kicking more and running less than he ever has before, which went badly. Then chopping and changing, poor kicking from 9 all year. Then Millar getting KOd by Fihaki (still astonished by that ref decision) so you lose a few games there.

I might be completely wrong of course, but to me it just looked like they didn't have the depth to stick with the plan effectively, or the ability to come up with a new one that would work.

Next year with the change in 10s it will be interesting to see what style they're looking for.