@kiwipie Thanks Kiwipie. Your comments about me having more "insight" were hilarious. Many of my selections were based purely on the people in that photo I posted earlier in this thread and and the makeup of the team which played against that Waikato selection. I don't know (or pretend to know ) anymore about whats going on than you guys.

My selections for lock are based on part logic and part bias.....Wardlow is presently involved with the Chiefs and Leaupepe and Morris both play for my home team (Te Puke). Having said that , Leaupepe played for Wellington a couple of seasons back and Morris was contracted to the Steamers two years ago but missed the entire season with injury. I haven't seen Ardron play since last year but I hear he has been playing well so maybe should get a permanent locking position.

Its nice to see someone else commenting on this forum.

Okay the Bay team is announced this week and I'm sure the details of it are already known in rugby circles. Given what has been posted on social media and some guess work, here is my selection. Remember... it is only my guess and I'm more often than not wrong..

Hookers :- Harris, Polwart, Siataga and Meachen.

Props :- Ross, Thwaites, Sakalia, McHugh, Mafileo and Frost.

Locks :- Wardlow, Leaupepe and Morris.

Loose forwards :- Cane, Latimer, Mua, Blake, Karpik, Ardron and Axtens

Halfbacks :- Judd and Campbell.

First Five :- Delany, Robertson and Trask.

Midfield :- Hepetema, Fuatai and Steel,

Outside backs :- Garland, Simonson, Webber, Collier and Te Aute

I'm not sure what the injury situation is with Ross and Webber or the availability of Parete and Tiatia and possibly one more lock is needed. Do any Mafia members have any inside knowledge of selections?

Anyway I look forward to seeing who is actually selected. Does anyone know of the availability of players for club finals given the Steamers pre season camp and games ?

And Lats is back.

Its been bought to my attention that the unknown guy may have been an instructor and not a Steamer. As a side note check out the size of their arms...good to see the gym work paying dividends.

Yes, Thanks for that

Whoops. It seems the image isn't posting. Can anyone post it correctly ?

Okay, this image was posted on the BOP Rugby facebook page a couple of days back. I assume these guys will be in this years Steamers team. I'm pretty sure I can name them all apart from the guy in the front left. Any body know his name ?


I see that the squad will be announced on the 20th of July.

Looks like we will be having three pre season games. Two weeks before the above game there is the Manawatu/Wanganui/BOP game in Taihape. I'm assuming there will be another in the intervening week.

Incidentally did anyone get to the BOP-Waikato Wasps/Harliquins game at Matamata a few weeks back? The BOP side featured several current Steamers, a few new contracted players and many from the Academy . I hear The Bay team won.

Whoops. This is the video I meant to post