Highlanders declare Josh Ioane available for selection again

The Highlanders now have a deeper talent pool to select from when the in-form Chiefs come to Dunedin on Saturday.

Josh Ioane, Marino Mikaele-Tu’u, Sio Tomkinson, Teariki Ben-Nicholas, Sione Misiloi and Daniel Lienert-Brown have all been declared available for selection after being stood down by coach Tony Brown last week for disciplinary reasons.

Lienert-Brown is still recovering from a broken arm, but the availability of regular starters Ioane, Mikaele-Tu’u and Tomkinson will increase Brown's options for Saturday's crucial game.

The Highlanders’ 33-12 win against the Crusaders on Friday will result in calls for Brown to stick with the same 23-man squad, but the reality is that the Highlanders finished that game in a depleted state, with Scott Gregory moving into the midfield and debutant Caleb Makene finishing the game in the back three.