But the Hawks will not be easing off tomorrow despite playing winless Green Island at Watson Park.
It is quite the opposite, in fact.
Harbour has finally got some clear air at the top of the competition standings and coach Marty Hurring said his side is desperate to consolidate its position.
A bonus-point win would help a lot. So the rest and rotation will have to wait.
''We rested a lot of players last week but the next three to four weeks are obviously very important to us, so we will start with our strongest team and try to build some momentum.
''If we could get a bonus point then I think we would empty the bench pretty quickly.''
Southern's 15-8 loss to Taieri on Saturday saw the Magpies (65 points) slip a win behind Harbour.
There are two rounds remaining, so if the Hawks can secure a bonus-point win against Green Island, they will be extremely hard to dislodge from the top spot.
To get back in front, Southern would need to record back-to-back bonus-point wins, and that would include a win over Harbour at Bathgate Park in the last round next weekend.
''That is going to be a very important game to see where we are at as far as title contenders go,'' Hurring said.
There are semifinals and a final to play before a champion can be crowned but Harbour has never won the Galloway Trophy - awarded to the leading team after the round-robin stage.
Hurring said that would be a breakthrough for the club but the big prize was also on offer.
Harbour is likely to strike an in-form University A in the semifinals.
University A has beaten Dunedin and Taieri in recent weeks and also had a narrow loss to Southern.
The students play an attractive style of running rugby and perhaps shape as one of the few teams which might be able to break Harbour's winning streak.
''They are definitely a threat. They are peaking at the right time and have some key players back on the field which is going to make a huge difference.
''But, at the end of the day, with playoff football, you've just got to win two games. It does not matter who you play.''
