TODAY’S Orange Netball Association Toyota Cup action could be season-defining for a number of clubs, as the top four sides face off with the bottom four sides at Orange PCYC today in a bid to maintain their authority, and finals chances.

Undefeated competition leaders Robin Hood clash with fifth-placed OHS High A (1.10pm) , second-placed Life Studio takes on the cellar-dwelling Forefront side (3.50pm), third-placed Royal Hawks clash with sixth-placed KWS 1sts (2.30pm), while the Vipers, sitting fourth, will look to overcome Hawks-BCC, in seventh (2.30pm).

If all goes as expected, with the four favourites winning today, the buffer between the Vipers and High A will blow out to three points - one win - which will make the bottom four’s job of breaking into the top half of the ladder even tougher.

For injured Life Studio player-coach Mardi Aplin, who underwent a knee reconstruction a couple of weeks ago, the game against Forefront signals a chance for her side to regain its early season form in the lead up to the finals.

“We’ve had a really disrupted last six or so weeks,” Aplin said. 

“We’ve had school holidays and that sort of thing, so the first really good training session we’ve had was Thursday night, which I’m glad about.

“The girls were doing a few things really well at the beginning of the year and we’ve probably slackened off a bit recently, so we’ll look to get back to doing those things well before the finals.”

Aplin said her side won’t take their opposition lightly based on their position on the table.

“We can’t really afford to do that, Forefront have some experienced players,” she said.

“We’ll disregard their position on the ladder and play them like we would the rest of the sides.”

Forefront can’t make the semi-finals, and defender Leighanne Ward said the remaining three games are about improvement for her side.

“We can’t make it, we’re gone, but that doesn’t mean we’ll stop trying,” Ward said. “Last time we played Life Studio we went goal-for-goal with them for three quarters. We’ll just try and put together a four-quarter performance.”