Chiefs coach Clayton McMillan seems unsurprised, but guarded over news that Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu will line up for the Super Rugby Pacific final at Eden Park on Saturday.
The veteran lock was initially ruled out for the rest of the season - and upcoming All Blacks fixtures against England and Fiji - with a knee injury suffered during his team's quarter-final victory over Fijian Drua, but has returned to action a month earlier than expected.
"He probably went to Fiji and got the Waisake Naholo treatment," Chiefs forward Naitoa Ah Kuoi told AM. "I was, like, 'Holy heck, that's crazy!'
"He does seem like a half-man, half-machine, so it's probably not really that surprising."
All Blacks winger Naholo made rugby folklore in 2015, when a broken leg seemed likely to sideline him for three months - including the Rugby World Cup - but he made a miracle recovery, with the help of traditional medicine from his Nadroumai village doctor.
If McMillan is as shocked as everyone else, he has hidden it well.
"I think the occasion and the game deserve the best people in both teams to be out on the rugby field," he said. "If we had a couple of bodies that were even slightly or marginally better, we would have considered chucking them out there too.
"It's a brave decision from Patty, who's a good man and had a big influence on their team, so you can fully understand why they've made that decision."
McMillan likens Tuipulotu's inclusion to that of Chiefs hooker Bradley Slater, who has been named on the bench for the final, despite leaving the field concussed against the Hurricanes last week.
With All Blacks hooker Samisoni Taukei'aho already incapacitated - and subsequently ruled out of the final - with an Achilles injury, Slater battled on, after sustaining a leg injury of his own early in his stint.
"We gave him Player of the Day last week," revealed McMillan. "How he soldiered through about 30 minutes on one leg says a lot about him, but also the character of this side.
"I imagine that's exactly what the Blues are looking for - that same sort of mentality."
McMillan admits Slater must still prove his fitness and will have until Friday's captain's run to confirm his involvement. It may not be surprising to see Slater - or Tuipulotu, for that matter - drop out of the gameday squad before kickoff.
"As soon as he came in off the game when he injured himself, it was always a question," reflected Blues coach Vern Cotter. "The first week, we didn't entertain it, but then he came in and say, 'Hey boys, I feel much better'.
"He went through a series of tests and got the green light after a pretty robust session on Tuesday."
Cotter insists his skipper has nothing left to prove this week.
"He's 100 percent," he said. "Anything could happen - and it could happen to anyone else as well - but he's ticked all the boxes and has his gameface on.
"He's ready to go."
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