Turbos captain Nick Crosswell is stuck with his great mane of hair until the Super Rugby season finishes.

He is beginning to get annoyed by it but he insists on seeing his bet through with Highlanders team-mate No8 Elliot Dixon.

In pre-season they wagered $1000 not to cut their hair until the end of the campaign. And if the Highlanders don't reach the top-six playoffs, Crosswell might have to wait only until next Friday against the Reds in Brisbane.

The Highlanders have the bye in the final round-robin round.

"Too many guys make bets and no one pays the penalty," Crosswell said.

The unruly hair had become a nuisance, getting in his eyes, he said. He tried to tape it up when he played the Chiefs last Friday night.

He was more concerned that when the Highlanders turned the ball over, as they did on Friday, teams like the Chiefs scored long-range tries against them.

If the hair didn't come off soon, it would "get like dreads".

Crosswell confirmed the mane will be gone when he returns to the Turbos.

He felt the three-week gap in Super Rugby was long enough and he was glad to be back playing, even if he got into an altercation against a fired-up Sonny Bill Williams on Friday. Even the Chiefs players hadn't seen him as heated as that.

Crosswell said his old coach Dave Rennie had had a long time to analyse the Highlanders after they had beaten the Chiefs in round one at Hamilton.

"Both teams had a bit of rust."

Crosswell said he can't wait to get back to play for the Turbos.

"It's home, you're with all your friends and we're such a close team."

- © Fairfax NZ News