There's a balance issue with this team, a lack of spark and a missing ingredient.MIKE Delany's return was supposed to be the icing on the cake, a treat for a Steamers team already scoffing sumptuous form and a bulging points table.

The All Black first-five could make a long-awaited comeback from shoulder surgery as early as Sunday's match against North Harbour in Rotorua, but things haven't gone so well in his absence.

The metaphorical cake, unfortunately, is still in the oven. It's in grave danger of not even rising, while the kitchen is a flour-dusted bombsite.

The Steamers are slumped in 11th on the ITM Cup table with just one win from four matches. In a muddling start with a distinct lack of on-field direction, Friday night's match against Taranaki reached rock-bottom.

The amount of missed point-scoring chances bordered on criminal, with panicked passes and poor options proving fatal.

Even the tasty away win over Hawke's Bay was more about defensive muscle than sublime, organised attack.

It's a bit simplistic to blame Delany's enforced absence but for several seasons, he's been the go-to man, to pot penalties from all over the park or to settle things down with a long, raking punt.

Phil Burleigh has done some good things in the No10 jersey in Delany's absence. He's an uncommonly gifted footballer but he's not an All Black first-five.

Dan Waenga has also contributed, tackling strongly, but he too isn't an All Black first-five.

Neither is No8 Colin Bourke, who must get a mention here for the amount of time he spends in the backline.

In previous seasons, he's got away with it too, with his audacious skills and hefty boot complementing Delany superbly.

Not this year - at least, not yet. Bourke's hands let him down badly in New Plymouth and he looked merely like a big forward trapped out wide.

There's a balance issue with this team, a lack of spark and a missing ingredient.

Delany fits that bill comfortably but someone should have stepped up in his absence, to reduce the pressure on him when he takes the field again.

The only good news is it's not yet terminal. An interesting exercise is to compare the team's progress with the same time last year.

After four rounds in 2009, the Steamers were unbeaten, having won four matches on the trot, leading on 16 points, despite not having an official coach at the time.

Yet over the next nine weeks, they could only collect a further three wins, slumping to seventh.

Waikato were dead-last after four games last year but improved to sixth, while Hawke's Bay were 11th after six rounds and ended up making the semifinals.

The point? It's a long, long season. The Steamers are fitter and stronger this year, they have a settled coaching team and most of their long-term injuries are on the way back, rather than heading down the road.

There's a solid core of experience, with hooker John Pareanga, midfielder Grant McQuoid and flanker Tanerau Latimer all within reach of 50 games for the province during the next month. All of which is  comforting, until you look at the table. Only one thing can make that more consoling, and that's a few more wins.