Maestro Mike steps up

It's the window to the Steamers' backline but first-five has resembled more of a revolving door in the last two years.
Consistency hasn't been the problem, however _ the big issue has been consistently getting one pivot to finish the season.
Now Mike Delany has won back the No10 jersey, due to Murray Williams' broken arm.
The Mount Maunganui maestro is anxious to see out the rest of the Air New Zealand Cup, starting with Sunday's game against Manawatu in Palmerston North.
"It's good to know I've now got a bit of time to cement my position and work on things. I know where I'll be for the next couple of weeks, at least," Delany said.
"It's almost an unfamiliar position but I'm glad to be back in there controlling things. At least I can concentrate on my job."
Williams' injury has a sense of deja vu. He made his debut against the Lions in 2005 and started seven matches until he broke his arm against North Harbour.
Delany, who had made his debut a week earlier against Wellington after astonishing scoring feats at club level, replaced him for the last four games.
Last year Delany played twice at fullback before taking Williams' spot on form for the round-three match against Auckland.
The Steamers then won three in a row, before Delany stepped awkwardly at training and tore his quad. That gave Williams the sniff he needed _ he played the rest of the season and into Super 14 with the Chiefs.
"Things were going all right for me at that stage and I felt pretty confident but those things happen," Delany recalls. "I was pretty gutted but what can you do?"
Things didn't start well for the 25-year-old this year either _ he narrowly missed selection with the Hurricanes, made the Chiefs wider training group but then missed much of the club season with a groin injury.
The injury _ osteitis pubis _ is prevalent among kickers, especially Aussie rules players and saw him sidelined for several months.
After four games at fullback this season, he now has to adjust back to the pivot spot in time to revive the Steamers' flagging fortunes against Manawatu. At least he hasn't spent the time idly, impressing at the back and working well in combination with Williams.
"We've shared the workload a bit and it keeps teams guessing. We play different styles and it gives the coaches a chance to change our game if need be.
"I can think about what their 10 is thinking about and get into position better to read the play. It gives me more of an understanding and if Murray gets stuck in a ruck, it's pretty easy for me to slot in and take over.
"Now it's just me at 10 for a while which is good _ I'm probably more of a running first-five, a little more unpredictable maybe."
Former Bay of Plenty first-five, 153-game veteran Ron Preston, likes the cut of Delany's gib and thinks Williams is a pretty decent player as well.
"You can't really separate them _ they're both quick on their feet and both got good kicking games."
What Preston wants to see is the players around first-five supporting the playmaker and some decent possession would also go down well. ``They should be using the centres or the loose forwards to break the line and they're not getting any front-foot ball either _ our forwards aren't creating much as a unit. ``We seem to be taking it forward and then send in a couple of runners who get knocked back and right away we're moving backwards. The defences around the fringe are too good now _ you've got to be thinking outside the square.' Preston welcomed news converted loose forward Jason Hona was due a start on Sunday, while he wouldn't mind seeing Whaka's Pauli Asaeli get a chance as well. ``They're missing a real line-breaker out wide, like a big left-winger who can come off either of those guys shoulders and punch the line.'