Last year's campaign spluttered to a inglorious ending - Jamie Troughton looks at how the Steamers are shaping up for this season.

It's a scene Steamers coaches are determined not to see again. Last year's provincial rugby finale at Baypark looked more like a casualty ward.  Players swathed in bandages lurched across the field, replacements replaced replacements and the referee dispensed smelling salts instead of yellow cards.

It reflected in the scoreline, with Taranaki overturning an 18-point deficit to win 30-24. Bay of Plenty's ranks were seemingly down to the last handful of fit players in the entire province, a promising start to the season washed away in an injury deluge.

Central (Rotorua) laid down the gauntlet in the first game of the PGG Wrightson Sub-Union series, when they defeated Eastern Bay of Plenty under lights in Rotorua, on Wednesday (26 May 2010) evening

At stake in the 2010 series between the Eastern, Western and Central Sub-Unions is the Te Hurinui Apanui Shield, which has been the symbol of Bay of Plenty Sub-Union supremacy since 1927.

Five years after last pulling on the blue and gold, Grant McQuoid has signalled he's keen for another crack at the Steamers.

After a three-year stint in Japan, the midfielder played his second match for Mount Maunganui on Saturday in the 44-27 win over Whakarewarewa.

Looking lean and sharp, the 30-year-old was industrious in the 40 mins he played in the second half, setting up a try and adding class to an already slick Mount backline. McQuoid ended his two-year contract with Yamaha over summer and is just delighted to be on the field again.

Tauranga Sports wrapped up the Bartercard Baywide Premier first round title on Saturday (22 May 2010) - when they ran in five tries on their way to defeating Te Puna 37-17 at the Tauranga Domain.

The defending Baywide champions who are chasing four successive titles, made sure of first round honours picking up a bonus point for four tries (or better), to finish one point ahead of Rotoiti.