Rugby: Time for Steamers to come of age

SEMIFINAL: The Bay of Plenty Steamers (pictured) head to Napier to take on Hawke's Bay tomorrow. Photo / Ben Fraser

The bulk of the Bay of Plenty Steamers squad were still in school the last time the province featured in the play-offs.

In fact, Steamers captain Culum Retallick is the only player left from the 2008 Steamers squad which last made the play-offs.

The Steamers' ITM Cup Championship semifinal against Hawke's Bay is being held at 2.35pm in Napier tomorrow, which marks a long wait for Bay fans.

"It's been a long time between drinks," Retallick said.

"I think it shows this year we are starting to take the right steps, and we have a good bunch of boys that are still pretty young and if we can build on this next year we will be heading in the right direction for the future."

Retallick said it would be huge for the Bay of Plenty to topple Hawke's Bay and qualify for this year's final.

"I'd be absolutely rapt to make a final," he said. "I mean if you are coming to the Bay [as a player] to make a fortune or get everything handed to you, you may as well get a bus ticket to Auckland.

"But what you do get here is a good opportunity and if we do make a final we do it without a lot of stuff other unions have, so it would be a great reward for everyone involved in Bay rugby."

Despite losing their last two matches of the season, Retallick said they still had plenty of belief they could upset Hawke's Bay.

"Finals footy is not about what has happened in the past, it is all about what happens on the day."

The last time the two sides met, Hawke's Bay only just defeated Bay of Plenty 23-17 during a Ranfurly Shield challenge at McLean Park.

Retallick said he could not remember a lot from his last run in the play-offs during a quarter-final loss to Southland in 2008.

"I can't remember a hell of a lot from that game," he said. "But I do remember that was the year we were in a fair bit of financial debt as a union.

"We had to stay in motels instead of hotels and things like that, but it proved we didn't need a lot of money to still play good footy."

The Steamers finished in the top four in 2011, but there were no semifinals played that year because of the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand.

Retallick said he hoped making the play-offs this year would help promote the Steamers to younger players.

He said Rotorua's Te Toiroa Tahuriorangi was a good example of a top young player from within the Bay who was attracted to play for another province, for whatever reason, and was now starring for Taranaki.

"It would have been good to have someone like that play all their school rugby in Rotorua and then make the Steamers, and have it as their goal," he said.