Does a win in their 'toughest game' sew up top spot for South?

And often the contests have lived up to the hype.

A 15-point win and a draw meant Longford had a slight edge over the Dogs last year, but South overcame their recent struggles against the Tigers in round six of this campaign.

In a back-and-forth contest, the Dogs reeled in Longford at Youngtown Oval in a testament to their fitness as they ran away 22-point victors.

The result is just one of 11-consecutive wins in South's so far unblemished NTFA premier campaign, and the ladder leaders sit three wins clear from the chasing pack of Rocherlea, Bridgenorth and Saturday's opponents.

But coach Jack Maher isn't eyeing a minor premiership prize just yet, even though a win would keep his side three wins ahead with just four games remaining.

Instead, he will approach the Tigers' fortress while paying no mind to the weeks ahead.

"It's definitely going to be our toughest game, this week," he said.

Having remained unbeaten at home for roughly two years, Longford's fortress was finally penetrated by the Parrots in round eight, marking the Tigers' only other loss in 2024.

And Maher said the Dogs would analyse how Bridgenorth got the job done, but would not stray away from what has brought them success.

"It's tough to win out there and that was something we talked about on Tuesday night, that they do play that ground really well," he said.

Olly Woodcock-Davis will miss for South alongside Harry Charlesworth and Harry Summers, but Brad Dodds is set to return as tries to add to his 33-goal tally.

Sitting just behind him on the league goal-kicking table with 29, Luke Murfitt-Cowen will be a likely addition to the impressive Tigers outfit that comfortably knocked off Bracknell, while Connor Riethoff is also set to put his hand up for a return.

The reinforcements appear to be arriving at the perfect time for the 8-2 Tigers, who have a game in hand on their opponents and could close to within two wins from top spot should they take the four points.

And perhaps more importantly for coach Mitch Stagg, a win would put Longford in the box seat for a qualifying final berth.

"We like to test ourselves against the best sides and South are obviously the competition yardstick at the moment," he said.

With the fate of their finals campaign coming down to the wire in the past two seasons, Stagg said his side were well aware of the benefits of being in control of their own destiny as they look to secure a double-chance.

"This year, we've been able to manage our bodies a lot better, guys that are carrying those niggles we've been able to give them an extra week of rest and I think our depth is in a really good position," he said.

"We haven't had a perfect run with injuries, [for example] Michael Larby, that was his first game back last week for four or five, six weeks, but I think we're much better placed this season to manage that and the results probably reflect that."

Elsewhere, the Parrots will be looking to help their case for a top-three spot of their own as they host Deloraine, while Hillwood will need to beat George Town if they are any chance of chasing down a position higher than fifth.

Should the Sharks lose, Bracknell will have the chance to move close to finals contention if they defeat Scottsdale, with the Magpies still searching for their first win.