He made 7 starts in his debut season and by 2008 was a fixture in the starting lineup. Super Rugby
Retallick earned a contract with the Chiefs for the 2010 Super 14 season, and turned in an excellent debut campaign, appearing in all 13 games for the team including 10 starts. In 2011, however, he struggled to get playing time and was limited to 7 appearances, all as a substitute.
In 2013, he signed with the Blues.
Retallick came up through the Canterbury system but, unable to crack a deep Information Technology Management Cup squad, moved north to sign with Bay of Plenty for the 2007 Air New Zealand Cup. He made his 50th appearance for the side in a victory over Counties Manukau during the opening round of the 2011 Information Technology Management Cup on 17 July 2011. Foreign the 2012 season, Retallick was signed by the Highlanders, but it was without question his coming-of-age performances for Bay of Plenty in the 2012 Information Technology Management Cup, where he exhibited an almost freakish ability to wrestle the ball from opposition players, which caught the eye of incoming Blues coach John Kirwan.
