Steamers: Dan Waenga wins first five start

Bay of Plenty's coaching brains trust have moved to dampen down the head-to-head aspect of team selections for this season's remodelled and abbreviated ITM Cup after firming on their first meaningful run-on XV yesterday for Sunday afternoon's competition opener against Counties-Manukau in Pukekohe.
Dan Waenga has won the nod in the contentious first-first position, seeing off the challenge of Otago import Chris Noakes in the race to replace departing All Black Mike Delany, while the returning Jamie Nutbrown has edged Taniela Moa at halfback.
Frontrowers Pingi Talaapitaga and Bronson Murray will start off the bench as coaches Sean Horan and Paul Feeney opted for a settled tight five combination made up of locks Luke Andrews and Culum Retallick - in his 50th game - props Josh Hohneck and Tristan Moran and Chiefs hooker Dan Perrin.
This year's NPC is squeezed into an eight-week window with games on every night apart from Mondays, with the 14 teams split into two divisions and promotion and relegation between the 'premiership' and 'championship'.
Horan said any chasm that had previously existed between the side's run-on XV and reserves was lessened because of the tight schedule, with some teams playing three games in little over a week.
"It wasn't an easy job picking this side with pretty much everyone out of the 28 fit and there were a few tough decisions picking a starting team, although balance-wise this year it's about body awereness because of the timeframe we're in.
"Some guys who start will perhaps be looking to come off earlier (in the game) than in the past and we're operating a true 23-man team this year, not 15 and eight. We're only six weeks (of round-robin) and we don't want guys falling away in the last two weeks."
Flanker Luke Braid, who had an outstanding Super Rugby season with the Auckland Blues and was on Tuesday named as the semifinalist's MVP, wasn't considered for Sunday but will come back into the mix after a few weeks recuperation, Horan said.
"That's purely because of his workrate and the amount of games he played for the Blues. He filled his big brother's shoes well ... he can't be too far off the All Blacks, maybe only an injury or two."
Feeney said Waenga, who'd served an apprenticeship of sorts last year behind Delany, over new recruit Noakes was his biggest headache. "Both are playing reasonably well and Dan's got the first one, but after this week we've got three games in eight days against North Harbour, Waikato and Wellington so we looked at Counties in conjunction with that heavy schedule.
"In our eyes they're similar players and both will get an opportunity to prove themselves."
Bay of Plenty Steamers
Toby Arnold, Lelia Masaga, Phil Burleigh, Steve Kefu, Jason Hona, Dan Waenga, Jamie Nutbrown, Colin Bourke (capt), Sam Cane, Tanerau Latimer, Culum Retallick, Luke Andrews, Josh Hohneck, Dan Perrin, Tristan Moran,
Reserves: John Pareanga, Bronson Murray, Pingi Talaapitaga, Leon Power, Carl Axtens, Taniela Moa, Chris Noakes, Lance MacDonald.We don't want guys falling away in the last two weeks.Sean Horan