'Best lock in the world': Rennie clarifies update on former All Black lock’s possible return

109-Test All Black lock Brodie Retallick is no stranger to big moments and matches in a black jersey, and it might not be over just yet, according to incoming head coach Dave Rennie.

Retallick recently won the top try-scorer award for the Japan Rugby League One competition for 2026, scoring an incredible 17 tries from lock in the regular season.

His team, the Kobelco Kobe Steelers, coached by Rennie, have finished the regular season top of the table heading into the playoffs, earning a two-week break before a home semi-final on May 30.

Retallick’s last All Blacks appearance was the 2023 Rugby World Cup final defeat against South Africa in Paris, before signing a lucrative deal with the Japanese side.

When Rennie was appointed as the head coach back in March, he used Retallick as an example of letting experienced players from overseas, in this case with over 100 Tests, be selected for the All Blacks.

In Tuesday’s press conference in Auckland, Rennie was asked the same question, replying with a glowing review of the Kobe Steelers lock.

“He’s been the best player in Japan, been phenomenal,” the All Black coach said.

“Just won some award for top try-scorer, but it’s all the other stuff that Brodie does over there, which is outrageous, and he trains exactly the way he plays. So, yeah, I would also say he’s the best lock in the world.”

“I’m not sure if Kobe would be too excited about this conversation, but it’s [Rugby World Cup] in the offseason. So yeah, look, I wind Brodie up about a little bit. He loves the All Blacks and I reckon he’s good enough. So it will take, obviously, discussions, and so we’ll push that back at the moment and focus on this year, and then we’ll talk about Brodie next year.

Rennie, who will visit a couple of Super Rugby Pacific franchises this week, explained that Scott Robertson also had a conversation with Retallick and that the outcome is still the same.

“Nah no Brodie [this year], he’s unavailable to do a lot of long distance travel, but he never was. I was always talking about maybe a World Cup, the biggest travel Brodie does nowadays is on the Shinkansen to Tokyo. So we’re away one night, he wasn’t excited about six weeks in Africa,” Rennie said.

“And I think Razor had this conversation with him 12 months ago. So, yeah obviously we’ve got 150 odd days in hotels this year. So, that wouldn’t excite the big man. I guess we’ll continue our discussions around, would there be any flexibility around a guy like Brodie, who played 12 years of Test rugby, 12 years of Super Rugby and has made a massive contribution to rugby here.

“I reckon he’s earned the right if he was available, and if the system allowed and he was playing good enough to potentially be available next year.”