Taieri (27 points), Kaikorai (26), Dunedin (25) and University (22) can all relax a little going into the final round of premier matches.
University has the bye this week but its last-gasp win over Harbour last Saturday means the defending champion will make it into the playoffs.
Harbour (21) just needs a bonus point to confirm its spot and may not even need that, depending on other results.
Green Island (6) and Zingari-Richmond (2) are out of contention.
That leaves Southern (19) and Alhambra-Union (16) with the most at stake this weekend.
Southern will host Kaikorai at Bathgate Park and Alhambra-Union are at home to Harbour.
Injured Southern hooker Joe Cairns told Rugby Chat his side was one-dimensional during the 26-15 loss to Dunedin at Kettle Park on the weekend.
"We just didn’t show up after the break," Cairns, who fractured a bone in his hand and had surgery three weeks ago, said.
"We were being real one-dimensional. We were just playing through the middle and then going on the edge and going back. It was easy to defend for Dunedin."
The Magpies are still in control of their destiny, however. A win against Kaikorai will confirm them in the playoffs.
Highlanders winger Jona Nareki played his first game for Alhambra-Union in three years during the weekend. He felt his side let victory slip away against Kaikorai.
"We should have won," Nareki said of the 33-32 loss.
Alhambra-Union was just a late missed conversion away from glory but lost "the battle up front" as well.
"It was a tough day for our forward pack but it was a tough day for their backline, too," he said.
A late change meant Vilimoni Koroi was kicking at goal rather than Levi Emery. Koroi had not practised all week, so it proved to be a bit of a hospital pass.
But Alhambra-Union can still make the playoffs. A bonus-point win for against Harbour would take the Broncos to 21 points.
If the Hawks failed to picked up a bonus point, then Alhambra-Union and Harbour would be tied on 21 points.
But Alhambra-Union would move ahead in the competition standings courtesy of its win against Harbour.
The Hawks would be left vulnerable and sweating on the result of the match between Southern and Kaikorai.