The Highlanders have enjoyed a profitable week, first signing All Black midfield back Ma'a Nonu on Tuesday and then adding veteran lock Brad Thorn to the mix two days later.
With those two signing on, the Highlanders have more or less got 28 names to give to the New Zealand Rugby Union next week.
On October 30, a draft will be done by teleconference to secure the rest of the squad.
Roger Clark said the New Zealand Rugby Union has decided it would not publicly name the 28 players each franchise had to supply it next week.
Full squads would be named on October 31 by the five New Zealand franchises.
Clark said the Highlanders had not gone on a spending spree and Ma'a Nonu had received less money in coming to the Highlanders than he would have got had he stayed at the Blues.
"Ma'a Nonu did not get his full amount as we did not have that amount in our salary budget. If he came to us early on then it would have been different. When we look at our last lot of players you naturally expect them to get less money."
Clark admitted there had been a touch of luck in signing Thorn and Nonu, and also All Black prop Tony Woodcock.
"It is about being in the right place in the right time. I'm sure if his family had not come from Mosgiel then the deal with Brad may not have happened. If Jamie [coach Jamie Joseph] had not gone up to Japan to coach and met Brad then that may not have happened."
Clark said every contract signed by the Highlanders had to be approved by the New Zealand Rugby Union, as the NZRU paid the wages. That meant the Highlanders simply could not spend beyond their means.
In 2011, when Clark and Joseph started with the team, the Highlanders had a salary budget of $2.3 million while the Blues had more than double that, spending $4.8 million.
Clark said that had made it incredibly hard at that time to compete for players and bring them to the franchise.
But the NZRU had brought in salary equalisation which had levelled out the amount of money paid to players by each franchise.
For next season, the Highlanders had a salary budget on players of $3.7 million compared with $4 million by the Blues.
Clark said by 2016 it should be relatively equal among the five New Zealand teams.
Last season the side had a player salary budget of $3.4 million, and this had increased mainly because loose forward Adam Thomson had not re-signed.
Thomson could still be a Highlander next year but the franchise had not heard from him.
Clark was unrepentant about what some had said was the aggressive pursuit of players by the southerners.
"I'm not going to apologise about us improving our team and trying to be a title contender. That is what Jamie is working towards."
He said Joseph was creating a culture players wanted to be in, while the likes of Andrew Hore, Tamati Ellison and Hosea Gear were also telling fellow players the positives of the side and playing in Dunedin.
Clark also confirmed yesterday Adam Letts is the new physiotherapist for the team. Letts, a former Otago United football player, has worked with the Southland team and the Taieri club side. He replaces Craig McColl.
He will start officially with the franchise in December.
The side is also looking for a new doctor and should make an appointment in the next few weeks.
All members of the off-field staff had to be based permanently in Dunedin.
