New North Otago coach Barry Stevens has been sifting through the club sides and identifying strengths and weaknesses after the first five games in Citizens Shield rugby.
Stevens will also work with chief executive Colin Jackson to assess the quality of the loan players due to arrive early in May.
Eight overseas players are still to arrive, so form in the second round - which begins on May 9 - will be important for those seeking representative selection.
Englishman Ben Palmer will be on the short list at first five-eighth when he returns, while Inoke Naufahu (Old Boys) and Cameron Keenan (Excelsior) will contest the halfback berth.
Last season's loose forward representatives - Samisoni Tongotongo, Matt Duff and Manu Taiti - will be out to confirm places, but competition will come from newcomer Lewis Jones (Barkers Butts) and Old Boys duo Max Mapusaga and Filipo Veamatahau.
Sale Pi'i, Jared Whitburn and Paea Ala look likely locks, while up front, Ralph Darling - if he is available - Kilioni Taufa, Sanaila Nahuto and loan players Max Hayes (London Irish Academy) and Rob Courtnell (Dunstablians) are certain to be competitive.
Hookers Will Crane (Birmingham), who is already playing for Excelsior, and Aaron White (Dunstablians) will also be pushing for a place.
At the end of the first round of the Citizens Shield, unbeaten Old Boys has scored 38 tries, well clear of Excelsior (14 tries), Kurow (12), Athletic Marist (11), Valley (11) and Maheno (six).
Old Boys halfback Naufahu has scored 76 points in five games and Valley's Brad McKenzie, who brought up his half-century last Saturday, is on 54 points.
The top two are followed by Excelsior's Kayne Middleton (41), Athletic Marist's Rory Harris (39) and Kurow's Ben Nowell (27).
Tongotongo and fellow Old Boys loose forward Mapusaga are the top try-scorers after the first round, with five tries each.
Old Boys winger Harry Frost and Old Boys flanker Filipo Veamatahau have both scored four.
- Terry O'Neill
