Sitting fifth with two games left, Taihape's Jaye Flaws and Dane Whale are down to their last throws of the dice to stay in playoff contention, starting tomorrow with leaders Border at Memorial Park.
It rings as true tomorrow as it did last year and the year before that - be 'Mr June' or 'Mr July' in Tasman Tanning Premier and set yourselves up for a decent shot at the championship.
After a season with the tightest table in recent memory, with five teams still trying to fit into the Top 4 at any placing, both the slight underdogs in Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist and PGG Wrightson/Balance Taihape know traditional powerhouses McCarthy's Transport Ruapehu and Waverley Harvesting Border will no longer be holding anything back.
Finally free of the midweek Steelform Wanganui representative games and having extra time to work through their injury tolls, Ruapehu and Border could go a long way to locking down the home semifinal spots with away wins at the Spriggens and Memorial parks.
Marist coach Jason Hamlin knows this is a big chance to snatch the Grand Hotel Challenge Shield at home from Ruapehu, as Marist did against Border on May 13, but he will have to do without quality prop Viki Tofa.
Right when he is needed to face Ruapehu's strong men up front like Wanganui team mates Roman Tutauha and Karl Parker, Tofa is still sitting out the second week of his three-week ban for dangerous play after his shoulder hit slipping Canterbury flanker Billy Harmon's head during the Ranfurly Shield Challenge.
Hamlin was able to rest some of his other tired Wanganui players like Cameron Crowley and Sam Madams for last weekend's easy win over Harvey Round Motors Ratana, but Tofa is a key missing ingredient against Ruapehu's veteran pack at a time when every competition point will count.
"It's less than ideal," the coach said.
"We're aware of that [pressure] - the games against Pirates where we gave up leads [and] the loss to Ngamat puts us back a bit.
"At least our own destiny is in our own hands."
Ruapehu ground out hard home wins over Pirates and Taihape in consecutive weekends through composure in the engine room - as the likes of Tutauha, Parker, Peter Rowe, Campbell Hart, Jamie Hughes, Kim McNaught and Ian Rowe will be eyeing up one more Premier trophy.
Hamlin said no matter how they have performed in the early months, you must expect Ruapehu to be dominant at this time of year.
"They just are. If anyone thought Rua were out of the mix, they're not paying attention to the last 10 years of club rugby.
"We think the best way to play them is to secure a bit of ball and try to move them around a bit. Play away from their strengths.
"Run up the A and B channels, you just get slaughtered."
In the April 29 clash in Ohakune, Marist lost 29-22 but were outscored five tries to one, with young goal kicker Mitchell Millar landing five penalties.
"We were lucky to be within seven, to be honest, that day," said Hamlin.
"Just holding a bit of ball and attack them a bit, but they've got some quality young boys in Shaquille Waara and Kahl Elers-Green."
It will fall to remaining front rowers Richard Campbell and Marek Willis, along with Madams, Ryan Gill and Taione Ratu to give the home side some kind of parity in the set piece, and then Steelie Koro, Crowley and Simon Dibben can always make magic happen out wide.
Taihape coach Kerry Whale has gone from doing the math to wiping it off his white board as his side prepares for the arrival of a rested Border, who should now be clear of the majority of their injury woes.
Having given it everything in the mud at Ohakune last weekend and lost 17-3, Taihape have a huge ask with two must-win games left to try and lift from fifth spot.
While the side avenged their Round 1 defeats to Pirates and Settlers Honey Ngamatapouri, the pace of playing the entire second round in virtual sudden death mode has taken a toll, as Whale said five or six players are still unavailable with the squad reduced to a core of 17.
"Our front row's played [the full] 80 minutes for the last four weeks.
"We're probably at the bottom of the [Top 4] battle. The first round has dictated where we are.
"We forget about that, and just worry about playing to win this weekend.
"If they lose battling, I'll be happy with that, and if we win battling, I'll be happy with that."
The broken jaw of prop Hadlee Hay-Horton nearly two months ago has proved costly, while playmaker Tom Wells won't be back until next weekend against Marist.
Taihape finally have Wiremu Cottrell returning to strengthen the loose forwards, which is where Ruapehu got the ascendancy last weekend.
Border won the April 29 clash in Waverley 54-20, as five members of their backline scored tries, although Taihape have plenty of talent out there as well in Dane Whale, Te Rangi Tapu McLeod and Jaye Flaws, but they don't have the same depth behind them.
In the other matchups, Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau hopefully took training a little more seriously this week as they get set for a chance to avenge their 30-21 loss to Utiku Old Boys in April by hosting them at the Country Club, while Ngamatapouri are back home for the first time in three weeks to meet Ratana.