EXHIBIT 99


                             FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP


For Immediate Release                                           October 27, 2004
Contact Person:
Leon Zimmerman
President and CEO
(209) 367-2000


                   FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP DISSIDENT DIRECTORS

                            SIGN STANDSTILL AGREEMENT


         Lodi, Calif. (Business Wire) - October 27, 2004-First Financial Bancorp
(OTCBB: "FLLC") the parent company of Bank of Lodi, N.A., today announced that
three dissident directors have signed a settlement and standstill agreement in
which they have agreed to support the proposed merger of the bank with Placer
Sierra Bancshares.

         In connection with the settlement and standstill agreement directors,
Angelo Anagnos, Steven Coldani and Kevin Van Steenberge, issued the following
statement:

                  In light of the Board's resolution to support the
                  proposed merger of the Company with Placer Sierra
                  Bank, and considering all facts put before us, we now
                  believe it is in the best interests of the
                  shareholders to support this merger with Placer
                  Sierra Bank, which is considered a strong institution
                  with a good reputation.

The Company agreed to make certain payments to the three directors and the
parties have agreed to take other actions described in the agreement, including,
if a 2004 annual meeting is held, nominating the three directors as part of
management's slate of directors. The three directors and the Company have also
agreed to a mutual release of any legal liability to the other arising out of
the matters described in the standstill agreement.

The Company will file the standstill agreement with the SEC as an exhibit to an
8-K report and mail it to the Company's shareholders.





ABOUT FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP

First Financial Bancorp is the parent of Bank of Lodi, N.A., a locally owned
community bank formed in 1982. Bank of Lodi, N.A. offers financial services via
the web at www.bankoflodi.com, by phone at 888-265-8577, at any one of its nine
branches located in the communities of Lodi, Woodbridge, Lockeford, Galt,
Plymouth, San Andreas, Elk Grove, Folsom, and Sacramento or its loan production
office located in Folsom, California.

THIS PRESS RELEASE CONTAINS FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS WITH RESPECT TO THE
FINANCIAL CONDITION, RESULTS OF OPERATION AND BUSINESSES OF PLACER SIERRA
BANCSHARES AND FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP WITHIN THE MEANING OF THE PRIVATE
SECURITIES LITIGATION REFORM ACT OF 1995. THESE INCLUDE STATEMENTS THAT RELATE
TO FUTURE FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE AND CONDITION, AND PENDING MERGERS. THESE
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS INVOLVE CERTAIN RISKS AND UNCERTAINTIES, MANY OF
WHICH ARE BEYOND THE COMPANY'S CONTROL. FACTORS THAT MAY CAUSE ACTUAL RESULTS TO
DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE CONTEMPLATED BY SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
INCLUDE, AMONG OTHERS: (1) THE RECEIPT OF REGULATORY AND SHAREHOLDER APPROVAL
FOR THE ACQUISITION; (2) THE SUCCESS OF PLACER SIERRA BANCSHARES AT INTEGRATING
FIRST FINANCIAL BANCORP INTO ITS ORGANIZATION AND ACHIEVING THE TARGETED COST
SAVINGS; (3) DETERIORATION IN GENERAL ECONOMIC CONDITIONS, INTERNATIONALLY,
NATIONALLY OR IN THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA; (4) INCREASED COMPETITIVE PRESSURE
AMONG FINANCIAL SERVICES COMPANIES; (5) CHANGES IN THE INTEREST RATE ENVIRONMENT
REDUCING INTEREST MARGINS OR INCREASING INTEREST RATE RISK; (6) THE IMPACT OF
TERRORIST ACTS OR MILITARY ACTIONS; AND (7) OTHER RISKS DETAILED IN REPORTS
FILED BY PLACER SIERRA BANCSHARES WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS SPEAK ONLY AS OF THE DATE THEY ARE MADE, AND PLACER
SIERRA BANCSHARES DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS TO
REFLECT CIRCUMSTANCES OR EVENTS THAT OCCUR AFTER THE DATE THE FORWARD-LOOKING
STATEMENTS ARE MADE.