Flying star wings back to Mount

Nine years ago Brendon Daniel picked his future over fame, deciding to guarantee a steady income from rugby rather than chase further representative success.
It was a courageous call by the teenaged wing, helped in no small part by the twin facts he was on the dole and that his then-girlfriend was pregnant.
Nine years later, family has also brought the former Bay of Plenty star back home to Mount Maunganui. His mother Ann is ill and he wants to spend some quality time with her and his daughter, who will turn nine in October.
But having spent the last decade playing rugby fulltime, he's in no mood to give it up just yet. And his second decision to put family first could end up reigniting his representative ambitions.
"I want to stick around and play at the highest level possible, so I've got in touch with the Bay," Daniel said.
"Obviously I'd have to play well for a club side so I'm going to give it a go. If something happens, that's great but if not, I'm here until the end of October anyway."
It seems a whole generation ago that Daniel last pulled on a Bay of Plenty jersey and yet he's still only 28.
When he finished his Steamers career in 1997, the team was immersed in the second division, Anthony Tahana and Caleb Ralph were just starting out and current coach Andre Bell was still a couple of months away from joining the union by way of Otago and Japan.
Daniel, a gifted Mount Maunganui wing schooled at St Stephens in South Auckland, had 15 games in a blue and gold jersey before taking up a contract with Saracens in England.
He completed two seasons at Saracens, Harlequins, Bath and Bristol and has just finished a season with Pau in France.
Now teenage cockiness has been replaced by worldliness, the bank balance is a little healthier and some of the dash has been replaced by guile _ though he's always working on getting some of that dash back.
"I think I'm a better footballer than when I left the shores butI don't think there are many 28-year-olds who can say they're as quick as when they were 20," Daniel laughed.
"Ants (Tahana) might be the exception _ but the muscles tighten up a lot more and my flexibility is one of the big things I'm working on.
"I'm not a millionaire but rugby's put me in a position where I'm reasonably comfortable. I've had a good life and managed to see the world."
He also played some very decent footy. In his second season at Saracens, he was picked as the players' player of the season ahead of several seasoned internationals, as the club won the Tetley Cup.
He made the English sevens team in 1998, and was reported to have gone close to a full English jersey several times in his career, including when he was at Bristol.
But his past two clubs _ Bath and Pau _ have both been relegated and he's been a frustrated figure lurking out on the wing with no scoring opportunities.
He's also hoping this break will freshen him up again.
"The big thing I've learned is there is no place like home _ plus I'm a bit more open-minded than when I left and more adaptable.
"But I'm looking forward to playing back here after being in France _ New Zealand backs work together really well and they work for each other but in France some players want to do more for themselves."