It starts with Blake Ferguson.
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The Parramatta winger has played a crucial role in the Eels' revival leading into a clash with the high-flying Canberra Raiders at Canberra Stadium on Sunday.
Whether he is churning out ugly metres in his own half, finishing off plays or exploiting little-known rules, Ferguson has so often been the platform upon which the Eels have built their early season form on.
He sits first in run metres and second in post-contact metres through four rounds - the only back in the league's top seven - to help the reborn Eels to fifth on the table.
They are bettered only by three competition heavyweights and the resurgent Raiders, and forward Sia Soliola says shutting Ferguson down is the key to holding a place in the top four.
"He's the obvious one, especially [when he was] at the Roosters, [over the] past couple of years he's been the one that's really got their sets going," Soliola said.
"It's not secret that Blake plays the game really, really well and could almost be classed like another forward because last year he got the most metres and generated the most play-the-balls.
"That's a big quality to have within the team. That's going to be a really tough job for us as a group to try to minimise his metres and modify his play-the-balls.
"It's something we're looking forward to challenging ourselves with because we've got our own goals individually and collectively and we've got to knuckle down and work hard and work together."
Canberra Stadium remains a happy hunting ground for Ferguson, who has scored three tries in as many games there since leaving the Raiders.
So how does the Green Machine's vastly-improved defence stop the NRL's premier metre-eater?
"We've just got to get people around, get some bodies in front and really make that good first-up contact with him because he's really, really strong when he brings the ball back," Soliola said.