If the formbook in the Bayfair Baywide premier rugby competition is any guide, Tauranga Sports will meet Mount Maunganui in next week's final at the Tauranga Domain.
But then, what use is a formbook come semifinal time in an incredibly close competition with a host of Steamers missing?
That is the reality heading into a weekend in which both home semifinalists are looking for a 3-0 clean sweep over their next opponents.
Tauranga Sports beat Opotiki 56-15 in round three and 29-24 in round 12, but are now missing almost a dozen players to injury and representative duty, including Carl Axtens, Pingi Taalapitaga, Steve Honey, Kane Hames and Keepa Mewett.
Opotiki have not lost any players to the Steamers, so will go into the clash this weekend with plenty of confidence considering they last tasted defeat on June 8 - against Tauranga Sports at Tauranga Domain.
The second semifinal, between Mount Maunganui and Te Puke Sports, is another tough one to pick.
The Mount won both the regular season meetings between the two teams by six-point margins - 21-15 in round 9 and 22-16 at Murray Salt Stadium last weekend.
Both teams are down on firepower, with Te Puke Sports losing standout lock Tim Bond and boom hooker Nathan Harris to Steamers duty, while the Mount will be without Kenny Lynn and Sam Beard for the same reason.
Speaking after last week's win that set up a return clash against Te Puke this weekend, Mount coach Rodney Voullaire hinted that both teams will be looking to catch the other by surprise, despite their familiarity.
"It is down to the belief now and we will take the same thing into next week with taking it game by game," said Voullaire.
"We have played each other a lot this year, so it will be interesting to see what we come up with this week."
Te Puke Sports coach Craig Jeffries was full of praise for a Mount side that overcame four one-point defeats in the opening eight weeks of the competition.
"They will be a huge threat, there's no doubt about that," said Jeffries.
"They played bloody well last week and we have to be better. If the Mount improve, it will be one hell of a ding-dong battle."
Jeffries believes the loss of both sides' Steamers players will have a large impact on proceedings.
"Obviously, with the Steamers guys being withdrawn, it changes things."
The two-time defending champs will also be without the services of Ryan Lambert and Andy Lee, while Junior Tofa Va'a is under an injury cloud.
Division One
Top qualifiers Rangiuru will play fast-finishing Te Teko for a place in the Division One final at Centennial Park.
The winner will be just 80 minutes from a place in the premier division next season, with Rangiuru likely to have added motivation considering how close they came to gaining entry into the top flight for this season.
In Te Teko, though, they meet a side on a two-game roll, with little to lose after being on the outer of the top four for much of the competition.
Steamers signing Elijah Nicolas - the only contracted Steamer from a Division One side except former All Blacks loosie Tanerau Latimer - is injured, but would not have been available to play in the match regardless.
The teams split their regular season meetings in contrasting games. Rangiuru won the first in week four 44-32, before Te Teko squared the ledger in week 13 by 17-15.
Poroporo and Kahukura were both guaranteed semifinal places before the final round, which goes some way to explaining each side's below-par performances last week.
Poroporo pipped Marist St Michael's 24-21, while Kahukura fell to Katikati 27-24, but that will be of little consequence come Saturday.