SAINTS will be backed by a 2,000-strong travelling army when they set foot into a white hot cauldron at Headingley tonight.

And they will need that 18th man in facing a Leeds side that has already taken out the first two pieces of domestic silverware up for grabs.

Leeds, despite a post Wembley blip, have been the outstanding team of the year and have already bested Saints three times in this year’s four encounters – including the Challenge Cup semi-final knockout at Warrington.

They are powerful all the way through - from an outstanding back three, strike centres, wily half backs to a formidable pack.

Throw into the mix a team determined to cement its place in history, before it breaks up, by emulating the achievement of their main rivals Saints and Bradford and win the treble.

And then factor in the emotional drive that will be surging through Headingley, to wave old warhorse Jamie Peacock and master schemer Kevin Sinfield off at the Grand Final.

That cannot be underestimated; just look at the push to Old Trafford that came with Keiron Cunningham’s departure from Knowsley Road in 2010.

The other nagging thought, that will eat away until it is broken, is that Saints have not won a knockout game against Leeds since the cup quarter final at Headingley in 2009.

For reigning champions Saints to get past this formidable hurdle and make it through for a repeat of last year’s Grand Final they must learn the lessons of the past meetings, won and lost.

Although those results are in the history books and won’t be on any one’s minds come 8pm, there were things Saints did badly in two of the defeats and executed magnificently in the game they won.

One of Leeds’ strengths this term against Saints has been their blistering starts.

As boring and predictable as it sounds Saints have to really respect the ball, cut out daft penalties and be switched in defence.

More than anything Saints need to get up and into the faces of the Leeds middles – and stop the likes of Man of Steel contender Adam Cuthbertson from offloading at will and giving them nine-tackle sets.

In so many games this term, the Rhinos of unleashed their potent three-quarter line off the back of a multiple midfield offloads.

In the losing matches Saints have been chasing the game from the off, and that invariably has allowed Sinfield to dictate the pace of the game with his boot.

In the game Saints won, only four weeks ago, the pack got off their line quickly, and limited the opportunities Cuthbertson had to offload.

And after matching the Leeds pack physically it allowed Luke Walsh and Jon Wilkin to kick on the front foot.

Saints’ kick-chase was excellent at Headingley last time out, much better than the early kicks in the set that were meat and drink to Leeds pacy and powerful back three of Zak Hardaker, Tom Briscoe and Ryan Hall who returned with interest.

Saints boss Keiron Cunningham praised of the Rhinos and his counterpart Brian McDermott at the press conference at Manchester this week.

He said: “I am really pleased for Mac and for all those players involved.

“Consistently throughout the year, Leeds have been the best side and at sometimes untouchable. “I thought they deserved to finish first. It would have been a travesty had they not finished top.

“A few wrote them off after Wembley and that shows how the hyenas pounce after a few losses.

“We don’t do that as a club and know they are great side who will be firing on Friday at Headingley.

“We have to be ready for that.”

Last night’s jaded Huddersfield performance, when they were knocked out at Wigan, showed that their battle with Leeds the previous week had taken much out of them.

Saints can only hope that the Leeds tank is similarly drained from that encounter – but the Rhinos would have been buoyed by their late win.

“You would like to think their last encounter will have taken something out of them, but this is a semi final – with a Grand Final place at stake, so it will be a tough old Saints v. Leeds game, as they all are, and it will be fought tooth and nail. Let’s just hope we put in a good show.”