Tauranga Sports demolished defending champions Te Puke Sports 39-15 at the Tauranga Domain on Saturday to stand clear favourites for the premier Baywide title.
The five tries-to-two rout continues the sparkling rugby they have played all season and also confirmed the gulf in class between them and the other leading teams.
But Saturday's game will not be remembered for the dazzling tries scored but for the sending off of Te Puke hooker - and former Steamers rake - Simon Chisholm, for landing a left hook on the head of a Tauranga player.
Chisholm replaced injured NZ Under-20 hooker Nathan Harris midway through the first half, and the punch was the last incident in a bizarre final 30 minutes of the game for Chisholm.
He was involved in several incidents which the referee and his assistants did not see as clearly as the good-sized crowd in the grandstand, who made their feelings abundantly clear.
Chisholm has just returned to playing after nearly a year on the sideline after he was knocked senseless by a king hit in a game last year.
His behaviour on Saturday was a throwback to how the game was played when club players did not have the clear pathways to the top they have today. The modern day club player is fitter and more goal driven than ever before, with a spot in the Bay of Plenty squad the first priority, then an overseas contract or Super Rugby ticket to the big time.
Getting involved in foul play is not part of the game these days, which made Chisholm's antics stand out so much.
Clearly the Te Puke players were all highly frustrated by the way Tauranga were allowed to slow down their ball at ruck time - and they had good reason to feel that way - but taking the law into your own hands as a player has never been allowed.
Te Puke were well beaten before it all blew up but they contributed greatly to a highly entertaining spectacle.
Coach Craig Jeffries admitted they got beaten fair and square but he knows they were well in the game at halftime, trailing 17-8, and could well have been closer but for Tauranga's contentious second try scored by winger Lewis Hancock.
Te Puke made several telling line breaks in the first 40 to get to the brink of scoring - only for the final pass to be lost.
"Obviously that performance was a big disappointment," Jeffries said.
"We were taught a lesson in urgency and a lesson at the breakdown, and I'm disgusted at our fitness. We didn't meet them enough in contact in the first half and our support players were too far away to be effective.
"But we had them on the rack for periods of the first half."
Tauranga went into the game with easily the best points differential of +117 and look a class outfit with a solid pack, well led by Steamers No8 Carl Axtens, and a backline with game breakers throughout. Halfback Josh Hall and new first-five Paul Morris are combining well, with Morris impressing with his Glen Jackson-like goalkicking skills.
His battle with opposite Simon Rolleston was like a mini-Steamers trial, with both players showing they have the ability to step up to ITM Cup level.
Tauranga's brilliant attacking fullback Steve Honey was told to be more consistent to have a chance of making the Steamers in 2013 and he has done that this season. His defence was also impressive when Te Puke made their first half line breaks, with a tackle on winger Junior Tofa Vaa a game turner.
Tauranga Sports coach Mike Rogers thought the score was an accurate reflection of what happened.
"We had plenty of ascendancy out there and I am stoked how the players went," he said.
"The first half we did not have enough line speed on defence but made a big shift in the second half and made the adjustment to take away their time.
"We struggled out of our half in the first spell so stopped kicking ball away and attacked, which worked well."
Tauranga's superior fitness was a huge factor in the win and something Rogers places major emphasis on.
"We are non-negotiable on that. We work the boys hard for 15-20 minutes every Tuesday and we are playing more footy than in the past. The fitter we are, the more rugby we can play."
Te Puke's Jeffries also had a pop at the Bay of Plenty Rugby Union for not having the referees and assistants wired up to enable proper communication. He believed the second try would then not have been allowed.
Tauranga Sports 39 (Lewis Hancock 2, Paul Morris, Mitch Greenaway, Nick Thomson tries; Morris 3 cons, 2 pens; Geoff Berry con)
Te Puke Sports 15 (Sips Moi Moi, Dan O'Rourke tries; Moi Moi con; Simon Rolleston pen)