The Chiefs have confirmed they approached All Blacks lock Brodie Retallick in a bid to secure his services for the newly formed Super Rugby Aotearoa.
Their approach follows the Crusaders' special dispensation to allow Sam Whitelock to join their squad.
Sitting on a four-win, two-loss record when Super Rugby stalled, the Chiefs had certainly found their feet under Warren Gatland.
And with the revised domestic competition now just a month away, they were almost delivered a timely boost, with Gatland confirming he approached Retallick about rejoining his old team, albeit unsuccessfully.
"That would've been a bonus," Gatland has told Newshub. "We had a conversation with him, but he's down on the farm in the Hawke's Bay and he's having a bit of a break with his family there."
The 28-year-old lock is back in the country, after his Kobe Steelers sabbatical was cut short by the COVID-enforced cancellation of the Japanese league.
Gatland concedes distance was a likely factor in his decision not to take up the offer.
"If he'd been based in Hamilton, that probably would've been a different scenario. It just didn't work out and, like I said, there was no pressure from us - we just made an inquiry."
But there is a silver lining for the Chiefs.
Despite missing out on Retallick's services, they've been boosted by a contract extension for another key player, first-five Aaron Cruden.
"We've been able to keep Aaron Cruden here, which is a huge plus for our environment," says Gatland.
Cruden's contract with the Chiefs was due to expire next month to allow him to also join Kobe.
With that option off the table, he's staying put in Hamilton and the Chiefs will need him, with the Blues ready to unleash star recruit Beauden Barrett.
"People are going to come back in different states, I suppose," says Blues coach Leon MacDonald
"He's going to be slightly behind, because he didn't get the game stuff at the start of the year."
The Blues hope he won't take long to catch up, as teams begin plotting their paths to domestic Super Rugby glory.
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