As the Tasman Tanning Premier competition begins to wind down to the August 1 conclusion, the next fortnight will see the power players watching each other from afar.
The top-four teams will now face bottom-four sides for the remainder of the draw, aside from one crucial match in week 16.
So, with a traffic jam of two competition points splitting three teams across the two home semifinal spots, all coaches are wary of having that "spoiler" match where they miss five points that should be banked.
Week 14 last Saturday provided some interesting results.
It was not so much surprising that McCarthy's Ruapehu and Waverley Harvesting Border claimed victory over PGG Wrightsons-Ballance Taihape and Integrity Motors Pirates, but instead the conclusive winning margins, 41-22 and 41-7.
Pirates found they could not physically intimidate a committed Border team, who were getting a real chip on their shoulder after two seasons of defeat, while Ruapehu struck a Taihape side at sixes and sevens due to the rescheduled draw.
Taihape coach Kerry Whale said he and son Luke were away for his youngest son Ben's 21st birthday, while first five and assistant coach Tom Wells also had pre-arranged commitments, leaving the team rudderless.
"I tried to change it, do it midweek, but struggled for [getting] a field and lights.
"We had eight out, it turned into a bit of a disaster."
Taylor Transom, 18, was called on to run the cutter, but with Wells returning tomorrow, alongside about four others, Whale is confident the team are regathered for this final push to the July 25 semifinals.
It will start with Harvey Round Motors Ratana tomorrow, for a Memorial Park double header, as Border also travel to meet floundering Utiku Old Boys.
"We had quite a good meeting on Tuesday night, we sort of planned out until [playing] Border - hopefully in a position that Border doesn't define us," Whale said.
Like last year with Taihape v Ruapehu, the final-round matchup between Taihape and Border on July 18 could decide the location and opponents for both semifinals.
Border coach Ross Williams said that while he is not looking at all past Utiku, remembering the squeak-by 22-18 win on May 9 in Waverley, his primary concern is rotating some personnel to protect the overall playing group.
Earning his first win as coach over Pirates came at a price, as there were some very sore bodies at training on Tuesday night.
"It was a confidence booster in that we know we can compete with any team, because we've beaten every team," Williams said.
"[Pirates] are still a good side.
"We've potentially poked a dog with a stick," he said.
Heading into the Utiku match, Border veteran Ray Stark is out injured, while first five Jack Lupton is 50:50 to play.
After a long spell on the sideline with his knee, lock Jack Hodge is dying to get on the park but Williams has told him to wait one more week.
"He wants to sit on the bench. I'm ignoring him."
Likewise, Williams only smiled at Utiku coach Gavin Thompson's attempt at a good-humoured bluff.
"Just tell them we've got all our Fijians out and we're putting all our B guys on," Thompson said.
What was looking like a dream season, even in mid-May, for the former cellar-dwellers, as they had wins on the board while Ruapehu were struggling, has suddenly seen the status-quo reasserted as Utiku have dropped four games straight, losing to the teams they beat in Round 1.
"We're just not playing well," said Thompson.
Despite a tough July run where they will now meet Border, Ruapehu and Pirates, he was not giving up hope of the Top 4 finish.
"I'd hope so, there's still a shot."
In the other games, after rare back-to-back losses, Pirates will have to pick themselves up for the local derby with Wanganui Car Centre Kaierau at the Country Club, while Ruapehu will put their newly won Grand Hotel Challenge Shield on the line against Dave Hoskin Carriers Marist in Wanganui.