A fusillade of hat tricks and 4-0 results last week suggest a new order may be imminent, one that might oust some of last season's top group of Caversham, Dunedin Technical, Roslyn-Wakari and Mosgiel.
Gamblers would have Caversham and Technical as bankers, and Mosgiel showed grit and skill to threaten Technical before losing by one goal last week.
Roslyn's odds lengthened after it was thumped 4-0 by University, and the student team looked capable of challenging for honours.
Grants Braes shocked Green Island with another booming 4-0 win, and may go on to improve its record of 10 wins in five years.
But winning championships is all about consistency, and top clubs usually have large squads to see them through the lean spells.
Coach Steve Fleming's Caversham team is unbeaten, but he has already blooded several unknowns such as Anton Ross, Simon Ward and Jesse Free while still collecting maximum points.
Technical looked a bit thin last week, and striker Aaron Burgess is still a couple of weeks away from recovery.
Blair Scoullar is unavailable, but midfielder Andy Coburn returns against Grants Braes at the Caledonian Ground.
Braes is likely to close ranks against the South Island champion, but coach Alan Laidler also knows the value of his side scoring first.
Bottom-placed Green Island will need a big improvement to match Caversham at Sunnyvale.
Coach Malcolm Fleming wants more discipline and hard work from his team.
Still shell-shocked after conceding four goals last week, Roslyn has a difficult opponent in Rovers, from Queenstown, at Ellis Park.
A red card last week keeps Carlos Herrmann out of Queenstown's squad, and Roslyn's defence should be stiffened by the return of centre back Dave Shaw.
Mosgiel travels to Invercargill to play Spirit, and continued good form will keep coach Mike McGarry's side among the top contenders.
Yet Spirit can be obstinate on its home patch, and new striker Mark Caldow could be a threat to the visitors' defence.
At the Gardens, Northern plays University.
The two sides are full of attacking options - they scored a combined eight goals last week - so both goalkeepers should see some action.
Tomorrow, the women's premier league features a top match between Northern and Roslyn-Wakari at the Gardens at 1pm.
