Rugby: Blues fail to attract five-eighths

Mike Delany has opted to stick with the Chiefs for next year's Super 14 season. Photo / Sarah Ivey

The Blues' search for a specialist five-eighths got tougher yesterday when the latest target, Mike Delany, turned down overtures to switch his Super 14 allegiance.

Delany was the umpteenth five-eighths in the Blues' crosshairs and while he was tempted and flattered by the offers, the Bay of Plenty pivot chose to stay with the Chiefs and push Stephen Donald hard for the No 10 jersey.

"I've enjoyed the atmosphere with the Chiefs and it would be hard to leave," he said yesterday.

"The Blues reckoned they were keen to have me and it was good to listen but the Chiefs and Ian Foster have been great and I want to keep that going. I'd like to be part of a Chiefs side that can win the competition."

Delany was also concerned he might be squeezed out of the Blues starting lineup when they had a full backline arsenal to choose from.

Nailing down a pivot has been one of the priorities for second year Blues coaches Pat Lam and Shane Howarth but their local and international inquiries so far have drawn a blank.

They canvassed specialists from England's World Cup winning hero Jonny Wilkinson, Manawatu's Aaron Cruden, Argentine Juan Martin Hernandez to All Black supremo Daniel Carter, without success, though several contenders were tempted.

Players from outside the Blues region of Auckland, North Harbour and Northland who want to link up with the franchise for the last Super 14 series have until October 16 to transfer their provincial loyalties.

Before and since their reappointment, the Blues staff have been scouring player lists, watching tapes and talking to any number of theorists about filling their five-eighths roster for next year.

They have also been working on remedies for the problems in the side at No 8, halfback and five-eighths, which bit into the side's potential this year.

This season's No 8s were Jerome Kaino and Chris Lowrey, the halfbacks were Taniela Moa and Chris Smylie while the first five-eighths work was shared between Tasesa Lavea and Jimmy Gopperth with Michael Hobbs used as a substitute.

The Crusaders have three five-eighths - Carter, Stephen Brett and Colin Slade - who were picked in the All Black squad this season but they will be reluctant to let any go to other franchises despite Graham Henry's observations that some needed to shift to benefit their game.

Slade has played five-eighths, wing and fullback while Brett can double in midfield and fullback as well and both are extremely valuable bench players.

Coaches are allowed to protect 24 players when they table their Super squads in early November with their extra quartet of players coming from the draft.

Brett may be the Blues' latest target but it appears it will take more than offers to prise him from the southern enclave. There has been speculation that the Blues may appeal to the New Zealand Rugby Union to intervene and order some redistribution of players but that would seem highly unlikely and a move that would create a dangerous precedent.

If the Blues cannot get any other five-eighths they may have to use Luke McAlister or Daniel Bowden who can play that role but are better suited and prefer playing in midfield.