Brad Weber will tonight wear the Chiefs No 9 jersey for the sixth time in seven games, having seemingly emerged triumphant in a head-to-head battle with Augustine Pulu.

Losing the world's best player is undoubtedly a blow, but as his Chiefs teammate Sam Cane puts it, "we've played bugger-all rugby with Brodie this year."

Marty McKenzie hopes he can hang on to the Chiefs' No10 jersey - then have little brother Damian wash it for him.

For the coach of a table-topping team, Dave Rennie cut a rather glum figure on Friday night.

As the Blues board consider who will coach the team next year - and with half this season gone, they must be - Wayne Smith has to be close to the top of their list.

If the Blues are on the hunt for a new coach, which surely they are, their silence on the matter is potentially closing the door on the best possible candidates.

A week that began with Aaron Cruden being ruled out for the rest of the season ended in much more positive fashion for the Chiefs.

Milestone man Pek Cowan hopes the Western Force will break their eight-match losing streak when they play the Chiefs in Hamilton.

Damian McKenzie's form has seen him touted as an All Black-in-waiting, with that elevation potentially arriving as early as next year.

Four years after suffering heartbreak at the final hurdle, Aaron Cruden's World Cup hopes have been dashed in equally unfortunate circumstances.

Aaron Cruden's season-ending injury is a dreadful blow for his ambitions, but we can appreciate the depth of our five-eighths talent, writes Wynn Gray.

Step up Damian McKenzie. The question has always been when, not if, he'd be an All Black and given events of recent months, the answer might be 2016.

For the first three years of Dave Rennie's reign at the Chiefs, clashes with the Crusaders conformed to a certain pattern.

The Chiefs easily recovered from the first-half loss of Aaron Cruden to secure a memorable double over the Crusaders in Christchurch tonight.

Aaron Cruden will come up against a pair of mates and rivals when the Chiefs visit the Crusaders.

The last time Sonny Bill Williams and Charlie Ngatai started together in midfield, the Chiefs produced their attacking performance of the season.

Hika Elliot is one man who can empathise with the life-changing decision made by Ben Afeaki to quit rugby.

Chiefs prop Ben Afeaki has retired from all rugby due to concerns about his long term health. Afeaki suffered concussion in February 2014 during an Super Rugby match against the Crusaders. He was cleared to resume training as part of a graduated return to play plan.

Those nagging goal-kicking issues won't go away for New Zealand first fives Beauden Barrett and Aaron Cruden in this year's Super Rugby competition.

Brodie Retallick's return from injury against the Blues illustrated just why an offshore move could prove an appealing prospect.

It's become a painful business watching the season play out for the Blues, writes Gregor Paul.

Join us here for tonight's live blog of the Super Rugby showdown between the Chiefs and the Blues from Waikato Stadium in Hamilton.

Herald columnist Justin Marshall identifies the three big match-ups that will determine tonight’s northern derby.

After missing five weeks - the longest injury lay-off of his professional career - Retallick is back to bolster a Chiefs team that have struggled for consistency in recent weeks.