Unlike in previous seasons, all of that would still be sustainable, but the biggest question mark is over unquestioned linchpin Steelie Koro, as the inspirational second-five has not trained this week because of a family medical situation.
"If nothing improves on that front, he definitely won't turn up," said Hamlin.
"We've got the depth to cover, we're just skinny on the bench.
"This time last year, we would have had to call on guys from Celtic and the Buffalos, just to play the game.
"Ruapehu have had to deal with that all year - it's nothing we can cry about."
The reason he is concerned but not discouraged is that Hamlin still has players who have delivered in the past two weeks.
Workhorse flanker Ryan Gill will have to take more on his plate, while out wide Tavita Tui can combine with Koniferedi, a former Fijian international, and be a real handful.
"[Koniferedi]'s played really well for us, while Tavita's come on in fits and starts."
Aiden Fitzgerald has formed a good locking combination with Lake Ah Chong - a player often unsung except by those alongside him.
"He's playing good rugby, that kid, just gone from strength to strength," said Hamlin.
As they continue to get their on-field education in a hurry, it will fall to the halves combination of Rory Gudsell and Sam Monaghan to prosper without Koro's guiding hand - Monaghan giving a goal-kicking advantage most other Premier teams can't match, as evidenced by his crucial sideline conversion against Taihape.
"It's the pressure goals that keep you outside the seven [point lead] and outside the 10," said Hamlin.
"The boys have been playing well, playing good rugby.
"If we win on Saturday, it keeps us on that good path. Lose it, we're sitting at fourth, looking at Ruapehu taking us."
After a season spent dealing with their own personnel issues, Ruapehu seemed to be coming right at the business end, as evidenced by their 55-7 hammering of Utiku Old Boys at Memorial Park.
However, player/coach Andrew Evans said there was a price paid with three injuries, two in the backline, including key representative centre Troy Brown, who is now 50/50 to play.
Young prop Gabriel Hakaraia is also out after breaking his hand against Taihape, having busted his other hand in the opening match of the season.
Ruapehu saw great success against Utiku with their first-five/fullback swap as former Highlander Craig Clare took over running the cutter while George Williams scored a hat-trick in the No15 jersey, but Evans said the chess pieces might have to be rearranged yet again.
"We'd like to [keep it] but we've just got to see what we got in the backline at the moment.
"We didn't have great numbers to training on Tuesday. I'll probably have to go back to fullback and push George to first-five."
He will want to keep key player Jamie Hughes away from the midfield and staying in the loose forwards, where Evans' fellow veteran war horse Peter Rowe has made such a difference since his return in the past few weeks.
"He's looking good, really, tracking well."
In the other games, Harvey Round Motors Ratana's nightmare returns as Waverley Harvesting Border travel to the Pa.
On April 23 at Dallison Park, Border slaughtered Ratana 95-3 in a match where fulltime was blown a couple of minutes early, sparing Ratana the agony of a triple-digit score, which has not happened in Wanganui Premier rugby since 2010.
It is derby games elsewhere as a stung Taihape meet Utiku in the battle of Memorial Park, while Black Bull Liquor Pirates face a nervous fourth-placed Kaierau at Spriggens Park.
