DEFENDING champion Brett Morris looms large as the last significant hurdle for Fijian flyer Aku Uate as he closes in on the title of the NRL's top try-scorer.
Morris led the league with 25 tries last year - three more than twin brother Josh - and on 18 remains within striking distance of Uate, who he will match up against when St George Illawarra take on Newcastle at EnergyAustralia Stadium on Saturday night.
Uate equalled the single-season record of Timana Tahu of 21 tries when he crossed late in the first half of Newcastle's 44-18 hammering of Brisbane at EAS last Friday night.
That also kept the 22-year-old tackle-buster on top of the pile of all try-scorers this year, although nearest rival Israel Folau pulled one back later in that match to stay within one.
Uate plays on Newcastle's right wing and Morris patrols the Dragons' left, so they will face off in what promises to be an entertaining duel between two of the game's most potent finishers.
With two rounds to go, Uate is the $1.85 favourite with TAB Sportsbet to finish the regular season as top try-scorer, ahead of Folau ($2.40), Morris ($7.50) and Manu Vatuvei ($21).
Tahu scored 21 tries in 2002, but he only crossed for 19 during the preliminary rounds to finish second to Bulldogs try sneak Nigel Vagana (23).
The only Newcastle player to top the list was foundation winger Ashley Gordon, who scored 15 tries in 1990 - equal with Queensland and Australian legends Mal Meninga (Raiders) and Willie Carne (Broncos).
Uate is trying to focus on team dreams rather than personal goals as he prepares for the game against the Dragons, but no one should begrudge him imagining scoring a bag of tries against Morris and beating the premiership favourites on Knights Old Boys' Day.
"We've just got to concentrate on winning the game and try to get into the finals so at the moment, I'm not really interested in records or anything like that," Uate said.
"Getting to the finals is still the biggest thing so, at the moment, I'm just concentrating on that, but it would be nice to get a few 'meat-pies' on the weekend and hopefully be top try-scorer, so fingers crossed.
"Defence is the biggest thing we need to do this week, because they've got a good attacking side with Mark Gasnier and Matt Cooper and Brett Morris.
"We need to concentrate at training on getting our defence right and hopefully turn up as a team on Saturday and get a win on Old Boys' Day."
Coincidentally, Uate and Morris made their NRL debuts against the Sharks in games at Toyota Stadium - Morris in May, 2006, and Uate more than two years later in July, 2008.
Apart from representing NSW and Australia, Morris has gone on to score 63 tries in 81 games for the Dragons at a strike-rate of 77.8 per cent. Uate, who has scored 32 tries in 43 games at a similar clip of 74.4 per cent, covets the same representative jerseys if he can clarify his international status.
Uate and Folau were on opposite sides of the field when they traded tries last Friday. The last time he went head to head against one of his main title rivals was two weeks ago in Auckland, and Vatuvei enjoyed a knockout victory with three tries to Uate's none in a 22-10 win.
Knights coach Rick Stone said Uate can expect some more traffic down his side on Saturday as the Dragons have enjoyed success using Morris, Cooper and Ben Creagh attacking right flanks.
"That's their preferred edge, going down that left side with Morris and Cooper and Creagh, so our right edge will come under plenty of pressure and scrutiny on the weekend and we've been working towards that and making sure that we can handle that," Stone said.
"But if Aku gets his chances, like he's shown this year, he can be as damaging and dynamic as anyone in the game. His confidence is high and there's no reason why he can't keep doing it."
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