Leeds scrum-half Rob Burrow is desperately hoping a meeting with the engage Super League champions will once more bring the best out in the Rhinos.
Tony Smith's men have done the double over St Helens this season, despite finishing a point behind them in the table, and go to Knowsley Road for Friday's qualifying semi-final with the comfort of knowing they are one of only two away teams to win there this year.
"They were our two best performances of the season," Burrow said of Leeds' 38-19 win at Headingley in April and their 22-10 success at St Helens in July.
"It's something you look for in every game but you don't find it every game. We played pretty well, I put it down to us reaching our peak in those games."
A hat-trick of wins over the Challenge Cup winners would put the Rhinos straight through to their fourth Grand Final at Old Trafford on October 13, with the losers facing a final eliminator against Hull or Wigan next Friday.
Three years ago, Leeds enjoyed their only Grand Final triumph after losing at home to Bradford in the qualifying semi-final but Burrow claims a second bite of the cherry will be the last thing on the players' minds.
"Teams have done it in the past but we want to get there at the first attempt," he said. "You don't want to be playing extra games."
St Helens are favourites to complete a second successive clean sweep of the domestic trophies but Leeds are determined to shake off their bridesmaids' tag and give Smith a winning send-off as he prepares to step up to the Great Britain coaching job.
"When you don't win any silverware you feel like you've failed and, if we don't achieve our goals, we feel we've failed," said Burrow. "Standards are high but we set them ourselves.
"It would be nice to give Tony a winning send-off. He's done a lot of good work for us and he's improved the team right across the board."
Burrow's improved form this year earned him a place in the 2007 Super League Dream Team and has put him in pole position for the number seven jersey when Great Britain take on New Zealand in a three-match Test series starting next month.
The lightning-quick scrum-half was a non-playing member of last year's Tri-Nations team but won his second cap in the mid-season Test against France and, on current form, is favourite to hang onto the jersey.
"It has possibly been the best season of my career but a lot of that is down to the team," he said. "We've lost a few matches but we've played pretty good throughout the year.
"I'd love to be part of Great Britain again - it was certainly a goal I set at the beginning of the year.
"But I've a job to do with Leeds first. We want to finish strong in the play-offs and whatever happens after that is a bonus."
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