Richmond coach Damien Hardwick says his players are embracing the challenge of testing themselves against one of the best teams in the competition this weekend.

Ladder leader Sydney is considered one of the premiership favourites, and the Tigers need to secure the four points at ANZ Stadium this Saturday to secure a finals berth.

“We play an outstanding outfit in Sydney.  We go up there, we’ll take the game on, we’ll play our way, and if we’re good enough we’ll come away with the four points,” Hardwick said.

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“There’s no better place you’d rather be than having your destiny in your own hands.

"It’s an outstanding opportunity for our guys.  We’re playing a side that has lost relatively few games this year.

“There’s going to be some pressure on, and we believe our guys will stand up and play well.”

Richmond got within two goals of Sydney the last time the two sides met, in Round 14 this year.

Despite a free-flowing first half on that occasion, the game was ultimately decided by a battle of tight, in-close, contested play.

Hardwick is expecting nothing different this Saturday afternoon.

“Offensively they control the ball very well.  They play a system of play that helps them defensively also,” he said.

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“They’ve got a capacity to win a lot of one-on-one contests.  That’s what they base their game around, and most clubs are no different.

“We’ve got to make sure when we have those opportunities, that we either win them or don’t get beaten.  It’s going to be a really good test for our guys.”

Hardwick dismissed suggestions that Sydney’s much-vaunted forward line is top heavy.

“All those guys are really good athletes.  (Adam) Goodes up the ground, (Sam) Reid is a capable athlete as well, and Lance (Franklin) is a freak, really, the way he can run,” he said.

“Tippett is probably a little bit different in the fact he’s a bigger bodied power forward, but those three guys are capable of getting up and down the ground and playing different positions.

“Luckily enough I think we’ve got the defensive guys to cover those guys.”