The Giants Presidents grade men's softball team will start their Hutt Valley competition campaign tomorrow with a match against Wainuiomata at their South Park, Masterton, headquarters intent on going one better than last year.
Runners-up to Steelers in 2010-11 when they lost the final by just one run, Giants had their confidence boosted when they won all four of their games to win their division at the Totara Park pre-season tourney in Trentham last weekend.
There are 15 teams in the Presidents grade and while Giants president Alan Clarke is the first to admit predicting results in a competition where personnel can change dramatically from year to year is never easy, he sees no reason why they can't again make a bold bid for the title.
Clarke is also optimistic the Mark Fricker-coached Giants under-18 boys team can win their Hutt Valley competition for the second successive season.
Spearheaded by returning three Michael McDermott, Sam Allen and Chas Matthews and a couple of newbies in Jesse Brown and Andrew Robinson, Giants have strength in both the batting and fielding departments.
