The 47-12 shellacking by the Hurricanes right before bye week exposed the gap between the rebuilding Highlanders and the best teams in the competition.
Eight games remain, starting with a mini-tour to Australia to play the Rebels then the Reds, and while the Highlanders are clinging on to eighth in the generous playoff system, they have work to do, and fast.
Their first training session back together ran well over time yesterday as they moved to quickly settle into game week before flying to Melbourne on Thursday.
"Everyone was pretty excited about being back into it.
"Obviously, there was an air of disappointment about that result, particularly being at home. We’d been pretty good leading into it. But that’s the nature of high-performance sport.
"We’ve got an opportunity to put it right this week."
Bye weeks have not always been kind to Super Rugby teams, who can lose some momentum when they take a break.
Dillon said they were vital for the wellbeing of the players.
"We’ve been going since just after Christmas, and I think it’s just about doing things they can’t do or seeing people they don’t get to see much during the season.
"We’ve got people from the North Island, and all parts of the South Island, and even the boys who live here get a chance to head away with family and friends or just recharge and refresh."
The Highlanders can hardly reinvent the wheel six weeks into the season.
But somehow they need to capture the best bits of the campaign — and there have been small signs of progress — as well as develop the promising areas and eliminate the bad stuff as they face a critical run of games against Australian teams.
"We’re always looking for opportunities in how to be better", Dillon said.
"We were pretty disappointed with what happened against the Canes. There are no excuses. We’ve just to get into this week."
He acknowledged the games against the Rebels (fifth in Super Rugby) and Reds (sixth) were potentially crucial.
"If you look at where we are on the ladder, and who we’ve played and who we’ve got coming up, yes, they are."
Centre Tanielu Tele’a remains suspended after his dangerous clean-out against the Chiefs in round five, but he should return for the Reds clash.
Winger Jona Nareki, who left the field during the Hurricanes game with a nasty-looking ankle complaint, has been cleared of serious injury but remains an uncertain starter this weekend.
"He ran today, so his availability will be around how he pulls up tomorrow with the loading that went through the ankle", Dillon said.
All three players - lock Fabian Holland, No 8 Tom Sanders and centre Josh Timu - who sustained head knocks against the Hurricanes are working through HIA protocols.
Will Tucker tested his match fitness with a run in club rugby for Kaikorai on Saturday, and fellow lock Mitch Dunshea is training fully as he prepares to make his Highlanders debut after an injury layoff.
