But Metropolitan Rugby Council match committee chairman Blair Crawford believes the competition is healthy.
The round-robin phase will be completed this weekend but the six playoff teams have already been sorted.
Green Island, Kaikorai, Dunedin, Southern, University and Zingari-Richmond are safely through.
Harbour, Taieri and Alhambra-Union will have to try again next year.
AU posted their first win of the season in the weekend. Taieri has been competitive during a rebuilding season and Harbour has caused a couple of upsets.
"It is a more even competition this year with perhaps the top four or five teams all being able to beat each other," Crawford said.
"So that is positive that perhaps there is a bit more talent spread around the clubs.
"But in terms of the draw, having a split round is never ideal.
"The way the teams fell this year in those pools meant one pool was weaker and the other pool was stronger.
"That perhaps gave a bit of a false reading, with some teams getting to play the bottom teams twice [early on].
"It is pot luck whether a team gets stronger or weaker ... but there are a couple of things we would look to correct with the draw.
"We can try and make sure a team plays all the others before it plays a team twice. That is something we’d certainly look to change."
The playoffs should feature a good splattering of Otago contracted players this year. If they are fit and do not have a dispensation, then they need to make themselves available for their club.
However, some of the Otago-contracted Highlanders who have had a heavier workload during the Super Rugby Pasifika season may be given extra time off ahead of the NPC season.
The likes of lock Fabian Holland, hooker Henry Bell and loose forward Oliver Haig could fall into the bracket.
Midfielder Jake Te Hiwi picked up a hand injury and will not feature in the playoffs for Green Island.
The clubs elected to finish the season earlier so they could have the Otago-contracted players available.
"In the past the competition has been compromised because it was too close to the NPC season and the Otago guys could not play. So we changed it to finish earlier so we could fit in with the Otago NPC campaign, so by rights all the players should be available.
"But let’s wait and see who the Otago coach deems fit. And this is what we have no control over. It comes down to what Otago say.
"All clubs will be just waiting to see."
Crawford said it was not clear when the playoff teams would have more clarity around who would be available.
■Midfielder Paul Tupa’i will bring up his 100th premier grade game for Southern tomorrow, while long-serving Harbour manager Grant Innes will retire after clocking more than 500 games for the Hawks.
