Since the competition was compressed into an eight-team league, waving goodbye to Grants Braes and Invercargill's Old Boys and playing three rounds to produce 21 games, there has been a noticeable distillation of quality.
Caversham still has a nose in front of second-placed Dunedin Technical but a solid mid-table group is capable of beating any team on the day.
The main game at the Caledonian Ground features the two top teams in a clash guaranteed to attract the biggest crowd of the season.
Caversham has an entertaining mix of youngsters and seasoned veterans, such as keeper Liam Little, Craig Ferguson, Mike Smith and Rhys Henderson, capable of controlling play at one end and the ebullient Tom Jackson leading a sharp attack.
Captain Seamus Ryder scorches around in midfield, with Andrew Ridden winning possession, playing it forward and staying in support.
No less crowded is Caversham's technical area, the officially marked territory in which coaches Tom Horner and Richard Murray, technical adviser Steve Fleming and manager Neil Birch congregate and offer sage advice to all who pass by.
Technical has an equally vociferous management team in coach Aaron Burgess, assistant Nick Cooper, goalkeeper coach Tony Boomer and manager Gavin Wheeler.
While Caversham has looked stronger with the return of Ferguson, a classy defender, and utility Henderson, Technical's depth has been tested by recurring injuries to centreback Matt Joy and the absence of striker Tom McNab.
The appearance recently of coach Burgess with his boots on again, signalled some discontent with his playing staff, but new signing Michael Naeverson, Richard Smith, Taylor McCormack and Alistair Rickerby amount to a potent strike force.
Third-placed University has added a full head of steam to its stylish attacking play and coach Luiz Uehara, with recent American additions Noah Woliner and Sam Winward combining with striker Peter Rae and the svelte skills of Ifeanyi Unamadu, feels his five-year plan may have come to fruition this year.
Green Island may not have the physique to subdue University but last week it earned a battling draw with Caversham, and that boost, plus pace to squander, might find holes in the Varsity defence at Sunnyvale.
Mosgiel will also be on a high after winning the Blair Davidson Challenge Shield last week, beating Roslyn-Wakari 3-1, and the Plainsmen could be favourite to actually retain the silverware and possibly reach third place.
In a season hardly blessed with spectacular goals, Mosgiel coach Andrew Brook praised the technique shown by Cody Brook, Ryan Anderton and Matt Kelly to score sublime goals.
Northern could surprise. Backed into a corner, without a win, coach Murray Devereux's team has little to lose, even at Memorial Park and, at the moment, even a grim draw would do the Magpies.
At Ellis Park, Roslyn-Wakari has to clear the memory of last week's tepid loss, yet Queenstown will be a dangerous visitor despite being second bottom.
Tom Connor, Damo Foster and Fraser Cameron did everything but score for Roslyn last week, but there are no prizes for near misses and the Central Otago side has Ramzi Toumi and Olli Ceci, both with pace and finishing power.
In the women's league tomorrow, Roslyn-Wakari plays Dunedin Technical Diamonds at Ellis Park, and University plays Dunedin Technical Premier at Logan Park.
