Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

Sidline Sid was a mixture of exhilaration and exhaustion on Sunday evening after the Steamers' third game in eight days.

Oh what a start by the boys in blue and gold to the 2011 ITM Cup season.

There was a distinct feeling of disbelief by many of the 8000 strong crowd leaving Baypark after the Steamers had annihilated Wellington last Sunday.

The magnitude of the demolition job on the boys from the capital city was still sinking in as the Steamers prepared to face Northland on Thursday night.

It was just the fifth time a Bay of Plenty side had defeated Wellington since the two provinces first met in 1912.

If anyone had suggested that the Steamers would post 32 unanswered points against a Super 15 franchise before the match – I would have told them to stop their drinking, and get a grip.

It was the nature of the way that the Steamers won that impressed. From the opening whistle they simply served it up to the opposition. While in the past there has been plenty of razzle-dazzle by the Steamers, it was often interspersed by simple mistakes.

This year the razzle-dazzle is still there in spades, but the well executed set plays have kept the mistakes to a minimum. GO THE STEAMERS.

While the Bay Boys are away in their next two match-ups, there is plenty to keep Western Bay rugby fans entertained this weekend. On Saturday the climax of the Bay of Plenty Club rugby season will take place at Greerton Park, where the Bartercard Baywide Club Rugby Championships will be played out.

The day will kick off at 11am on the number one field with the Colts title decider, before the main event takes place at 3pm. The Baywide Premier final, continues the long-time rivalry between Western Bay sides and teams from the Sulphur City.

Te Puke Sports, will face off in the final match of the day against Rotorua heavyweight Whakarewarewa, for the right to lift aloft the Baywide Premier trophy in triumph at the end of the game.

While Whaka have won Baywide and Inter-City Rugby silverware in the past, the Te Puke side are seeking their first Baywide Premier title, after falling at the last hurdle several times in the last two decades.

The relatively young Te Puke team has built their momentum in the second round, to the extent that they have won their last nine games in a row. One Te Puke player who knows full well about the red-hot action of Baywide Finals day, is former Bay rep Rameka Poihipi who has again answered the call to duty this season.

One real game winner in the Te Puke side is Nick McCashin. The inside back who is in the Steamers wider squad, not only controls play in the backline but can boot home kicks at goal with rare ability.

Western Bay of Plenty is well represented in the four other Baywide title deciders. Greerton Marist meet Te Teko in the Division One Final, with the winner getting a Premier berth next season along with the Div One silverware.

Former Div One champions Arataki meet Poroporo in the Division Two final. The Colts decider is a Western Bay derby between defending champions Te Puke Sports and Greerton Marist, with Mount Maunganui defending their 2010 Senior Reserve crown against Ngongotaha.

Seeya at the Baywide Finals on Saturday