Metro does have a couple of key players out for the season.
Go-to hooker Sean Morahan is out with a disc problem in his back, starting centre Mike Wakeling is sidelined with rib cartilage damage and regular first five and team kicker Stefan Hannan has left to join the New Zealand Army.
Metro has the cover and depth in the squad to cope, although throughout round one and the start of round two the coaches have struggled to field sides with a full bench at times.
Mathematically the likely finals foe Massey White can miss out on a berth, but that would take a monumental effort from Old Boys Marist this Saturday. A substantial win by OBM could shunt third placed Feilding into the finals limelight. However, that is highly unlikely.
Massey White has won the competition three years on the trot now going through unbeaten throughout each annual rounds.
This season, however, they have been toppled twice. By Feilding and by Metro.
"Whoever we play in the final, and it's most likely to be Massey, it will be tough for us in an away fixture," Malcolm said.
"We do have our support when we play in Palmerston North and we hope to have even more next week, but it is difficult on their home turf. Win, lose or draw, as long as the boys give their best and do the things we've talked about they can be proud."
Malcolm rates his team highly and will be surprised if several of the squad don't progress to higher honours in the near future.
"I won't name them now, but yeah, there's a few in the team that have really bright futures if they stick at it," Malcolm said.