That is not to say the men in red can't do the deed this weekend with the help of Greg Hay but the injection of teams from outside the Bay has spiced up the tourney.
Diack, who meticulously sows lawns, will know that feeling although his memory deserted him when he thought NTOB had won the T20 title.
It was the Paul Brennan-coached Hutt Districts Academy who won the title last year after beating Sharpies Driving Range Taradale CC in the final.
For the record, the Hamish Templeton-skippered Karori CC (Wellington) claimed the inaugural bragging rights in 2011 while Heretaunga Building Society Cornwall Cricket Club had it the following year.
Taradale wicketkeeper Luke Kenworthy points out any team can win a T20 match if the stars align with the moon for them on any given day.
Kenworthy said they had lost the services of their Brendon Bracewell Academy players but gained veteran Luke Wright returning from stints in England and The Netherlands.
"Barney [Kieran Noema -Barnett] went to Holland, too, for a few months and he's expected to arrive tomorrow [today]," he said but was unsure if the last summer's Central Districts Stags captain would be available this weekend.
Former Black Caps allrounder Doug Bracewell will play, though, after returning from the NZ A tour.
The Robbie Wheatley-coached Maroons also boast CD spinner Ajaz Patel, who will be tourney captain, and have scored fellow Stag Seth Rance, of Wairarapa.
"Callum Hewetson and I have a few years of experience up our sleeves, too," Kenworthy said.
Pristine pitches around the Bay, bathed in sunshine all this week, beckon but it becomes overcast tomorrow and rain is forecast to spoil the playoff party on Sunday.
Wellington teams, especially, relish coming here to play on grass pitches as opposed to artificial ones early in their season.
Kenworthy said NTOB would be a threat considering they won club titles last summer without "Big Red" (Craig Herrick) who was arguably the best Bay premier bowler.
Te Puke CC (Tauranga), Central (Rotorua) and North Shore (Auckland) are the newcomers but the dark horses have to be home-grown Marewa CC.
The Casey Rangi-captained Napier senior graders were looking gung ho with the promise of CD opening batsman Jamie How and Black Caps strike bowler Adam Milne but late withdrawals stymied that.
"I'm told Adam is in Christchurch now but I'm not sure about where Jamie's going to be," lamented Rangi, who was planning to open with How but will now open with CHB leftie Anthony van Dorsten.
Marewa have called in a few lower-grade Celtic CC players to bolster their ranks, after going through the senior comp last summer undefeated.
Rangi's men also won the division one T20 comp last summer without a blemish.
North Shore coach Ken Olsen didn't mince words: "We're going to win because we have the best players."
They include Auckland Aces greater squad member Josh Tasman-Jones, "rising star" Matt Selby, top-order batsman Mike Olsen, ex-U19 Auckland rep Alex McDuff and hard-hitting opening batsman Jared Sun.
The Aucklanders were T20 and one-day semifinalists in the premier club comp last summer.
T20 details
*Group A: Taradale. Collegians, Havelock North, Te Puke (Tauranga).
*Group B: Cornwall, Central HB, Central (Rotorua), Hutt Cricket Academy.
*Group C: New Plymouth OB, Onslow, Napier Tech, Marewa.
*Group D: Karori, Napier OBM, Kapiti OB, North Shore.
Draws
*Rd 1, today from 3pm unless stated: Taradale v Collegians, Nelson Pk 1; Havelock North v Te Puke, Nelson Pk 5; Cornwall v Central Rotorua, Cornwall Pk 1; CHB v Hutt Cricket Academy, Ongaonga, 2pm; Kapiti v Karori, Cornwall Pk 2; NOBM v North Shore, Nelson Pk 4; NTOB v Marewa, Nelson Pk 3; Onslow v New Plymouth OB, Nelson Pk 2.
*Rd 2, tomorrow, 10am: Taradale v Havelock North, Cornwall Pk 2; Te Puke v Collegians, Cornwall Pk 3; Cornwall v Hutt Cricket Academy, Cornwall Pk 1; Central Rotorua v CHB, Nelson Pk 4; Kapiti v NOBM, Nelson Pk 5; North Shore v Karori, Nelson Pk 3; NTOB v New Plymouth OB, Nelson Pk 1; Marewa v Onslow, Nelson Pk 2.
*Rd 3, today from 2.15pm: Taradale v Te Puke, Cornwall Pk 1; Collegians v Havelock North, Cornwall Pk 2; Cornwall v CHB, Cornwall Pk 3; Hutt Cricket Academy v Central Rotorua, Nelson Pk 3; Kapiti v North Shore, Nelson Pk 5; Karori v NOBM, Nelson Pk 4; NTOB v Onslow, Nelson Pk 2; New Plymouth OB v Marewa, Nelson Pk 1.
Semifinal 1, Sunday, 10am: Winners group A v Winners group C, Nelson Pk 3.
Semifinal 2, Sunday, 10am: Winners group B v Winners group D, Nelson Pk 4.
*Other playoffs, 10.30am: Venues TBC for 2nd, 3rd, 4th placegetters.
*Final, Sunday, 1.30pm: Winners SF1 v Winners SF2, Nelson Pk 3.
*3rd/4th playoffs, Sunday, 1.30pm: Losers SF1 v Losers SF2, Nelson Pk 4
