Clarke Dermody has spoken at length about how he wants his team to be Super Rugby contenders, not the scrappy underdogs from the bottom of the world who lack the resources of other teams.
Harmon must have the same song sheet as he sees no reason why the Highlanders, even coming off a poor season and still viewed by many as the poor cousin of the New Zealand clubs, cannot have a whale of a season, starting with their clash with the powerful Blues tonight.
"You can ask me the same question every week and I’ll give you the same answer," Harmon said this week.
"We back ourselves, 100%, against any team. We’re here to play, and I’m confident in our team.
"We’re here to win, and I think this year is about growing that belief and growing that confidence.
"There’s always talk about other teams having more All Blacks and that sort of stuff. But we’re lucky it’s a team sport. It’s not about individuals.
"It’s about what team can back their game plan and play with confidence, so that’s where we’re at."
The Highlanders have high hopes their backline, which misfired so badly in 2022, can fire a few more shots this year.
New winger Jonah Lowe and the fit-again Jona Nareki certainly offer more firepower, halfback still has the master (Aaron Smith) and the apprentice (Folau Fakatava), and if Thomas Umaga-Jensen can continue his progress and the No 10 jersey gets the best out of both Mitch Hunt and Freddie Burns, good things could happen.
Still, it is the forward pack that is the Highlanders’ greatest weapon, and behind a solid tight five — and the best lineout in the competition last year — is a world-class loose trio with the mercurial Harmon alongside powerhouses Shannon Frizell and Marino Mikaele-Tu’u.
"You look at all the threats on the park and there’s a lot of carrying power there," Harmon said.
Their battle with the Blues’ all-All Blacks loose trio of Akira Ioane, Dalton Papali’i and Hoskins Sotutu should be worth the price of admission tonight.
Harmon is also looking forward to seeing Highlanders first five Mitch Hunt back in action after his concussion issues.
"It’s awesome. If you think back to two years ago, when we really hit some form, a large part of that was how well he was playing.
"To have him back is awesome, and watching him play in those two pre-season games, he looks like he’s back to form, and he’s talking about being in the best shape he’s been in for a long time."
Harmon wants to be the best captain he can, but said that was simply about maintaining his own form and connecting with his team-mates.
There is no doubt the Highlanders will need to be connected as much as possible tonight.
The Blues were the best team in Super Rugby last year before falling to bits in the final, and they are stacked with attacking threats across the park.
If the Highlanders are unable to get dominance up front, the likes of Beauden Barrett, Mark Telea and Caleb Clarke could cut loose under the roof, and that might be exciting for the Zoo but it would be bad news for the home team.
Recent history is not always relevant, but the reality is the Blues have won seven of the past eight games between the sides.
An even more unpalatable fact is that the Highlanders have been beaten in each of their past 10 games against New Zealand opposition.
Tonight would be the ideal moment to break that run.
