Returning All Blacks lock Brodie Retallick, flanker Sam Cane and halfback Brad Weber, with 372 Chiefs caps between them, will boost teammate Damian McKenzie's celebration of 100 caps in their Super Rugby Pacific game with the Waratahs in Sydney on Saturday.

Coach Clayton McMillan is looking for those players to help lift the side's efforts beyond that in last weekend's win over the Rebels.

"Our performance had moments of brilliance mixed with a lot of poor decision-making and execution. We will need to be more clinical if we want to take the points against a dangerous and hurting Waratahs side."

Back in the fold after a season in Japan last year, McKenzie said he had been with the Chiefs for nearly a decade and reaching 100 appearances to join some great Chiefs players of the past, and who are still playing was special.

He said moving north to the Waikato was not something he expected when younger, but it proved a great move, and he had played with some fine players and recalled making his debut in 2015 against the Blues with Sonny Bill Williams playing outside him.

"It is such a proud region. It was a bit of a change moving up from Christchurch, and Gore, but I enjoyed it. I had a few mates from school here, Anton [Lienert-Brown] was here and I think I gelled in pretty quickly."

McKenzie said he enjoyed being part of some good Chiefs sides who had some exciting wins during his time, and he felt rejuvenated returning to the side this year after his Japan stint.

McMillan said McKenzie's influence on the Chiefs was not only on the field.

"He always comes in with a smile, he works hard and sets a great example for everyone and puts his body on the line every week and always gives the best of himself. To see him get 100 games is a magnificent achievement and he gets to sit alongside some big legends from the game in this part of the world."

He will start at fullback this week against the Waratahs. McMillan said that one of the competition's best players in 2023, Shaun Stevenson, had played four 80-minute games and was starting to show some 'wear and tear'.

Another who needed a break after contributing so much was loose forward Luke Jacobson.

"Luke is someone we have always had to take extra caution with given his history so he sits out this week," he said.

He was expecting the Waratahs to have similar strengths to the Rebels, and they had one of the best rosters in the competition.

"It seems they are below expectations in relation to that roster so what we anticipate we will get this week is a pretty fired up Waratahs on their home turf."

With their attacking ability, he said they would look to take a big step forward this week.