Mike Delany Is Doing What?
When Mike Delany, a 35-year old, greying first five from the Bay of Plenty, took a call earlier this year from Crusaders coach Scott Robertson, he thought he was the victim of some kind of prank. Robertson had phoned to gauge Delany’s interest in joining up with the defending Super Rugby champions in 2018. It was not a drill. Today Delany was named in the squad and no one, it seems, is more surprised than him.
Delany’s comeback just keeps on giving. Many assumed he had returned to New Zealand to go round one more time at provincial level before doing what most guys his age do and hanging up the boots for good. It seems Delany’s barrel of juju has not yet been completely tapped and, after guiding the Steamers to a first final in 17 seasons, he still feels like he has something more to give.
“It’s all a little bit surreal to be honest,” he says with a chuckle. “I get a fair bit of stick for having had more clubs than Arnold Palmer, but what a great opportunity to go and learn from some of the very best in the game.”
Yes, every day is a school day for Mike Delany.
Perhaps that’s why he has been able to sustain a competitive professional career for more than a decade. He just wants to keep learning. He says he has enjoyed the year back in New Zealand – his first since a short relief stint with the Highlanders in 2012 – mainly because he felt as if he was being coached again.
“[Bay of Plenty Assistant Coach] David Hill has been so good for me this season in terms of adding to my game,” he says. “I felt over the last couple of years in Europe that I wasn’t being coached, and I think that’s a problem in the European set up in general. You can never rest on your laurels in this game. If you do, you’ll be spat out pretty quickly.”
While Delany only played the one test for the All Blacks (in a tough 20-6 victory over Italy in Milan in 2009) he has amassed 47 Super Rugby caps with the Highlanders and the Chiefs, and appeared in 30 matches for both Clermont and Newcastle. He also earned 27 caps of Japanese powerhouse Panasonic. His experience, and his presence in the environment make this student of the game the ideal teacher.
“I am just so keen to see what makes that team tick,” he says. “I really enjoyed my time back in the Bay of Plenty under Clayton McMillan and Hilly and having got through the campaign in one piece I feel I can add to the Crusaders in any way they require.”
And don’t think for a second he won’t be competing for starts. Delany has never been satisfied with making up the numbers. During his time with the Chiefs he battled Stephen Donald for starts. Neither player wanted to give the other a break in that respect. They even renewed their friendly rivalry during the Mitre 10 Cup when they faced eachother at Tauranga Domain.
“I’m sure he grabbed my balls in a ruck!” Says Delany with a laugh. “Well, someone did and he was close by, that’s for sure. It was bloody good to have a run against Beaver that day. I think I cramped up in the 74th minute and it seemed fitting given our battles over the years that the game ended in a draw.
To the casual observer, Delany’s selection may seem an odd one given the Crusaders already have two young and rapidly rising first fives in Richie Mo’unga and Mitch Hunt. However, when one considers the influence on the squad from men like Tim Bateman and Wyatt Crockett, Mike Delany’s name on the squad list does not seem out of place at all.
And besides, while the hair may be greying, the enthusiasm has not waned one bit.
“I made a promise to myself a couple of seasons ago to wake up each day, get keen, and go out there and enjoy my rugby. It can be a challenge in the grind of the European season, but that’s what keeps you going.
“I know those young boys at the Crusaders are really impressive, but I’ll be coming in full noise and I intend to put the heat on them to keep improving every week. I can only assume that’s why I have been picked.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Good to hear he would like to play the game at the highest level, I hadn’t been to sure how much of a motivator that was before now. Sadly he’s probably chosen the rugby club to go to. Try not to worry about all the input about how you should play rugby Joey and just try to emulate what you do on the league field and have fun. You’ll limit your game too much (well not really because he’s a standard athlete like SBW and he’ll still have enough) if you’re trying to make sure you can recycle the ball back etc. On the other hard, you can totally just try and recycle by looking to offload any and everywhere if you’re going to ground 😋
1 Go to commentsThis just proves that theres always a stat and a metric to use to justify your abilities and your success. Ben did it last week by creating an imaginary competition and now you did the same to counter his argument and espouse a new yardstick for success. Why not just use the current one and lets say the Boks have won 4 world cups making them the most successful world cup team. Outside of the world cup the All Blacks are the most successful team winning countless rugby championships and dominating the rankings with high win percentages. Over the last 4 years statistically the Irish are the best having the highest win rate and also having positive records against every tier 1 side. The most successful Northern team in the game has been England with a world cup title and the most six nations titles in history. The AB’s are the most dominant team in history with the highest win rate and 3 world cups. Lets not try to reinvent the wheel. Just be honest about the actual stats and what each team has been good at doing and that will be enough to define their level of success.
19 Go to commentsHow is 7’s played there? I’m surprised 10 or 11 man rugby hasn’t taken off. 7 just doesn’t fit the 15s dynamics (rules n field etc) but these other versions do.
7 Go to commentsPick Swinton at your peril A liability just like JWH from the Roosters Skelton ??? went missing at RWC
14 Go to commentsLike tennis, who have a ranking system, and I believe rugby too, just measure over each period preceding a world cup event who was the longest number one and that would be it. In tennis the number one player frequently is not the grand slam winner. I love and adore the All Blacks since the days of Ian Kirkpatrick when I was a kid in SA. And still do because they are the masters of running rugby and are gentleman on and off the field - in general. And in my opinion they have been the majority of the time the best rugby team in the world.
19 Go to commentsHaving overseas possessions in 2024 is absurd. These Frenchies should have to give the New Caledonians their freedom.
21 Go to commentsBell injured his foot didn’t he? Bring Tupou in he’ll deliver when it counts. Agree mostly but I would switch in the Reds number 8 Harry Wilson for Swinton and move Rob Valentini to 6 instead. Wilson is a clever player who reads the play, you can’t outmuscle the AB’s and Springboks, if you have any chance it’s by playing clever. Same goes for Paisami, he’s a little guy who doesn’t really trouble the likes of De Allende and Jordie Barrett. I’d rather play Carter Gordon at 12 and put Michael Lynagh’s boy at 10. That way you get a BMT type goalkicker at 10 and a playmaker at 12. Anyways, just my two cents as a Bok supporter.
14 Go to commentsThanks Brett, love your articles which are alway pertinent. It’s a difficult topic trying to have a panel adjudicating consistently penalties for red card issues. Many of the mitigating reasons raised are judged subjectively, hence the different outcomes. How to take away subjective opinions?
7 Go to commentsYes Sir! Surprising, just like Fraser would also have escaped sanction if he was a few inches lower, even if it was by accident that he missed! Has there really been talk about those sanctions or is this just sensational journalism? I stopped reading, so might have missed any notations.
7 Go to commentsAI is only as good as the information put in, the nuances of the sport, what you see out the corner of the eye, how you sum up in a split second the situation, yes the AI is a tool but will not help win games, more likely contribute to a loss, Rugby Players are not robots, all AI can do if offer a solution not the solution. AI will effect many sports, help train better golfers etc.
45 Go to commentsIt couldn’t have been Ryan Crotty. He wasn’t selected in either World Cup side - they chose Money Bill instead. And Money Bill only cared about himself, and that manager he had, not the team.
26 Go to commentsYawn 🥱 nobody would give a hoot about this new trophy. End of the day we just have to beat Ireland and NZ this year then they can finally shut up 🤐
19 Go to commentsTalking bout Ryan Crotty? Heard Crotty say in a interview once that SBW doesen't care about the team . He went on to say that whenever they lost a big game, SBW would be happy as if nothing happened, according to him someone who cares would look down.. Personally I think Crotty is in the wrong, not for feeling gutted but for expecting others 2 be like him… I have been a bad loser forever as it matters so much to me but good on you SBW for being able to see the bigger picture….
26 Go to commentsThis sounds like a WWE idea so Americans can also get excited about rugby, RUGBY NEEDS A INTERNATIONAL CALENDER .. The rugby Championship and Six Nations can be held at same time, top 3 of six nations and top 3 of Rugby championship (6 nations should include Georgia AND another qualifying country while Fiji, Japan and Samoa/Tonga qualifier should make out 6 Southern teams).. Scrap June internationals and year end tours. Have a Elite top six Cup and the Bottom 6 in a secondary comp….
19 Go to commentsThe rugby championship would be even stronger with Fiji in it… I know it doesen’t fit the long term plans of NZ or Aus but you are robbing a whole nation of being able to see their best players play for Fiji…. Every second player in NZ and AUS teams has Fijian surnames… shame on you!!! World rugby won’t step in either as France and England has now also joined in…. I guess where money is involved it will always be the poor countries missing out….
84 Go to commentsNo surprise there. How hard can it be to pick a ball off the ground and chuck it to a mate? 😂
2 Go to commentsSometimes people just like a moan mate!
7 Go to commentsexcellent idea ! rugby needs this 💪
19 Go to comments9 Brumbies! What a joke! The best performing team in Oz! Ditch Skelton for Swain or Neville. Ryan Lonergan ahead of McDermott any day! Best selection bolter is Toole … amazing player
14 Go to commentsI like this, but ultimately rugby already has enough trophies. Trying to make more games “consequential" might prove to be a fools errand, although this is a less bad idea than some others. Minor quibble with the title of the article; it isn’t very meaningful to say the boks are the unofficial world champions when it would be functionally impossible for the Raeburn trophy not to be held by the world champions. There’s a period of a few months every 4 years when there is no “unofficial” world champion, and the Raeburn trophy is held by the actual world champions.
19 Go to comments