Chiefs injury woes continue

Despite a well-timed early bye just two games into their Super Rugby season, there hasn't been much let-up on the injury front for the Chiefs, as they ready for their first home game of the year.

Brodie Retallick (poke in the eye at training) and first five-eighth/fullback back Marty McKenzie (concussion) are both fit to face the Bulls in Hamilton on Friday night, but that's the only good news coach Colin Cooper had to report pre-training on Monday afternoon.

It still leaves an extensive list in the casualty ward, with both Charlie Ngatai (knee) and Dominic Bird (shoulder) working their way back to full fitness after suffering injuries in the season-opener against the Crusaders.

After going down in the warmup against the Blues, outside back Shaun Stevenson is still getting his knee assessed as to whether or not he'll require a quick tidy-up operation (four to five weeks recovery) or be out longer term, while there is still a big unknown around the state of prop Kane Hames, who has been suffering from what has been described as a 'mystery illness' and hasn't taken the field this season.

The All Blacks loosehead is again unavailable for this week and has been visiting specialists, but Cooper wasn't going into any level of detail around the condition.

With Nepo Laulala having broken an arm against the Blues and Atu Moli subsequently having his season ended by complications with a quad hematoma which required surgery, it's left the Chiefs' front row stocks decimated, with Mitchell Graham (leg) and Sefo Kautai (foot) still also sidelined.

That has seen Bay of Plenty tighthead Jeff Thwaites called in this week, joining fellow late call-ups Angus Ta'avao and Karl Tu'inukuafe, with Aidan Ross the only remaining prop from he original squad.

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