Saints' two-pronged attack will need to be silenced if Norths are to defeat them and maintain their outright lead in the AFL Cairns premiership tomorrow afternoon, according to Tigers midfielder Lukas Ehlich.
Matt Walsh and forward-line partner Alex Macqueen have been Saints go-to-men in recent years, with Walsh already sitting on 78 goals for the season.
Macqueen is the competition's next best way back on 38 majors, and Ehlich said it was no secret that stopping those two was the key.
Between them they've kicked 114 of the team's 253 goals this season and 18 of their 29 last week.
And as good as the Tigers' defence is, Ehlich says stopping them won't boil down to the one-on-one contests at the back.
"The midfield battle will be massive. The pressure either team can create in there will be cruical," he explained.
"You can't look past those two guys as the key to it all for Saints. They pretty much kick all their goals. We've got to stop that by starving them of opportunities and controlling the midfield."
That's where it becomes far more than a two-man battle, with both sides boasting representative quality engine rooms.
Most of Cairns' best players will congregate for the bounce at Griffiths Park tomorrow and Ehlich said he could not wait.
"It's been built up and fair enough, it's a big game and whoever wins can take that confidence into the finals," he said.
"I love big games. You know you've got to be at your best."
Saints have lifted their game in recent weeks, not kicking less than 21 goals in their past five games.
But Norths have kept them to 10 and 13 goals - despite losing the latter game - in their two clashes this season and Ehlich says that thanks to some handy additions they have improved too.
"Guys like (former Carlton international scholarship holder) Peter Labi and Todd Coran (14 goals in three games) have given us a boost," he said.
Last Modified on 10/09/2013 16:16