THE top two women's SBL teams might have streaked clear with four weeks of the regular season for 2014 remaining, but precious little then separates third and sixth, and then seventh and ninth.

The Rockingham Flames look to have the minor premiership secured and the Lakeside Lightning appear safe in second position, but little separates the Joondalup Wolves, Stirling Senators, Kalamunda Eastern Suns and Mandurah Magic.

Those teams are locked in battles for positions in third and fourth while the Cockburn Cougars, South West Slammers, Willetton Tigers and maybe even the Perry Lakes Hawks are fighting over the final two spots in the playoffs.

The Orange Autos Rockingham Flames have the minor premiership sewn up with just the one loss so far in all of 2014, but their next match-up against the Lightning will be fascinating before they finish up against the Hawks and Senators.

The Lightning take on the Magic before that clash with the Flames before then finishing up with home matches against the Senators and Wolves. Lakeside's last four game are against fellow top four teams with three of them at home but they likely have done enough to finish second.

The defending champion Joondalup Wolves have a tough last five matches up against four teams inside the top eight and then the Tigers who are just outside. Three of them are at home but it's going to take a big effort for the Wolves to end up with a top four spot.

The Stirling Senators also have a tough run taking on championship fancies Cockburn, Kalamunda, Lakeside and Rockingham along with a dangerous Willetton team in their last five matches.

The Kalamunda Eastern Suns are in hot form having won their last six matches and they now finish the regular season at home to the Senators, and away to the Wolves and Hawks.

The Mandurah Magic have slipped to sixth spot having lost three of their last four matches, but they are still a good chance to finish in a top four spot with three of their last four games at home. However, they are against the Lightning, Wolves and Tigers.

The Soprano Lady Cougars haven’t been setting the world on fire to have slipped to seventh position with just a 9-9 record, but they remain a real threat based on their talent.

The Cougars take on the Senators and Hawks the next two games before finishing at home to the bottom two teams the Redbacks and Eagles in what is a favourable run home.

The Collie Crane Hire South West Slammers' record of 7-12 might not look impressive, but it's currently good enough for eighth spot with the finishing the regular season against the Wolves, Redbacks and Magic.

The Willetton Tigers have just kept themselves in the playoff mix despite a 6-11 record and they now have five matches remaining with four of them on the road. They should have a gimme against the Redbacks with the others against the Hawks, Senators, Wolves and Magic.

The Perry Lakes Hawks are struggling at 5-12 and having lost four straight matches, but if they finish off beating Willetton, East Perth, Cockburn, Rockingham and Kalamunda then they could still play finals in 2014.

BREAKDOWN OF THE RUN HOME FOR THE TEAMS IN CONTENTION

ORANGE AUTOS ROCKINGHAM FLAMES
Current position: 1st
Current record: 18-1

Run home: Lightning (A), Hawks (H), Senators (A)
Home games left: 1
Away games left: 2
Games left v top eight teams: 2
Games left v bottom six teams: 1

LAKESIDE LIGHTNING
Current position: 2nd
Current record: 15-3

Run home: Magic (A), Flames (H), Senators (H), Wolves (H)
Home games left: 3
Away games left: 1
Games left v top eight teams: 4
Games left v bottom six teams: 0

JOONDALUP WOLVES
Current position: 3rd
Current record: 12-5

Run home: Slammers (H), Eastern Suns (H), Magic (A), Tigers (H), Lightning (A)
Home games left: 3
Away games left: 2
Games left v top eight teams: 4
Games left v bottom six teams: 1

STIRLING SENATORS
Current position: 4th
Current record: 11-6

Run home: Cougars (H), Eastern Suns (A), Tigers (H), Lightning (A), Flames (H)
Home games left: 3
Away games left: 2
Games left v top eight teams: 4
Games left v bottom six teams: 1

KALAMUNDA EASTERN SUNS
Current position: 5th
Current record: 12-7

Run home: Senators (H), Wolves (A), Hawks (A)
Home games left: 1
Away games left: 2
Games left v top eight teams: 2
Games left v bottom six teams: 1

MANDURAH MAGIC
Current position: 6th
Current record: 11-7

Run home: Lightning (H), Wolves (H), Tigers (H), Slammers (A)
Home games left: 3
Away games left: 1
Games left v top eight teams: 3
Games left v bottom six teams: 1

SOPRANO LADY COUGARS
Current position: 7th
Current record: 9-9

Run home: Senators (A), Hawks (H), Redbacks (H), Eagles (H)
Home games left: 3
Away games left: 1
Games left v top eight teams: 1
Games left v bottom six teams: 3

COLLIE CRANE HIRE SOUTH WEST SLAMMERS
Current position: 8th
Current record: 7-12

Run home: Wolves (A), Redbacks (A), Magic (H)
Home games left: 1
Away games left: 2
Games left v top eight teams: 2
Games left v bottom six teams: 1

WILLETTON TIGERS
Current position: 9th
Current record: 6-11

Run home: Hawks (A), Senators (A), Wolves (A), Magic (A), Redbacks (H)
Home games left: 1
Away games left: 4
Games left v top eight teams: 3
Games left v bottom six teams: 2

PERRY LAKES HAWKS
Current position: 10th
Current record: 5-12

Run home: Tigers (H), Eagles (A), Cougars (A), Flames (A), Eastern Suns (H)
Home games left: 2
Away games left: 3
Games left v top eight teams: 3
Games left v bottom six teams: 2

Article by Chris Pike
Photo by Mick Cronin