It started with a whimper and ended with one too but there were genuine shouts of glee in between for the 2010 Steamers. Jamie Troughton casts his eye over the highs and lows, the Bay's good, bad and ugly.

High points

Beating Wellington in the CakeTin, spanking Hawke's Bay in Napier and mauling Manawatu in terrible conditions at Baypark. Three consummate performances filled with confidence and ambition. The trick is playing like that every week.

Low points

The losses to Waikato and Taranaki were horrible and ultimately undid the season. Auckland and Canterbury bullied the Bay to good effect and you could argue the Tasman officiating until you were blue (and gold) in the face but the first two were the ones that stung ... or stunk, if you were downwind.

Memorable moment

September 4, 2010. The Steamers will look back with affection at the team-building exercise their getting trapped in a massive earthquake was, but at the time, it was just bloody scary. Four hours earlier and it may have been deadly for the team. Great story for the grandchildren, though.

Bay Times MVP points

No surprise that Colin Bourke (pictured) tops this list - his efforts in the second half of the season have been stupendous.

Why is he not on a plane to Hong Kong? Tanerau Latimer hasn't lowered his lofty standards either.

Colin Bourke 14, Tanerau Latimer 9, Taniela Moa 8, Luke Braid 6, Luke Andrews 4, Josh Hohneck 3, John Pareanga 3, Chad Tuoro 3, Dan Perrin 3, Mike Delany 3, Brett Mather 3, James McGougan 3, Culum Retallick 3, Grant McQuoid 2, Dan Waenga 1, Cory Aporo 2, Jason Hona 1, Tristan Moran 1, Simon Chisholm 1, Phil Burleigh 1, Toby Arnold 1.

Player of the year

Take a bow, the bloke they call Slim Shady. Luke Andrews was an interesting off-season signing, purchased from Italy at the ripe old age of 34 ... except no one has thought to tell him how old he is. Still running around like a teenager, the lock missed only one game all year and his conditioning and professional standards were inspirational to the rest of the team, while he also brought positivity and an uncanny ability to poach opposition lineout pill.

Honourable mentions

Josh Hohneck should go close to a Super 15 contract, joining Bourke and Latimer as the only players to front every week. Taniela Moa started the season looking like a prop and ended it looking like an All Black - not a bad 13-week makeover. Lethal Lelia Masaga's try tally was impressive and big ups must go to two blokes not even in the squad at the start of the year who featured prominently - halfback Chad Tuoro and hooker Simon Chisholm.

Time to turf out

Those horrible Steamers away jerseys. They are awful and an insult to any long-serving Bay supporter who switches on the telly and thinks Auckland has turned up instead. Speaking of turfing out, how about a new rugby stadium for Christmas? As for Steamie the mascot, brought to you by the same marketing brains that invented a striped horse and called it a zebra ... how about something a little less like a funny bloke with a big head? Maybe a wild Waimana boar or a White Island bronze whaler?

Rising star

Sam Cane has class stamped all over him. Could be a bolter for the Chiefs, will definitely get a wider training group contract if not. A young man in a hurry and still months away from turning 19. Look out next year, too, for his good buddy and former Reporoa schoolmate Carl Axtens, finally overcoming his broken leg.

Next year

It's a biggie - Bay's in the premier division and celebrates a centenary. While the rest of the nation is distracted by the World Cup, what better chance to build on this year by sneaking off with our first NPC title in 35 long years?

From the skipper:

"What happened tonight will put a sour taste in over summer and they'll want to come back and work harder. We're good enough to be in that top four and we know that. We've played some great football and blooded some new players into the team. They stepped up and bought into what we do here. Next year, there will be less games and it will be more intense. We won't be able to have a lapse like Tasman or Northland. We're definitely looking for a big one." Colin Bourke.