GREATER Western Sydney looked to have its season back on track after a rousing win over ladder-leading Melbourne in round 16. But the heart-breaking loss to Gold Coast that followed was the third time in the past month the Giants failed to beat a lowly team and saw them fall out of the top eight.

The Giants have already overcome a sluggish 0-3 start and a nasty run with injuries to climb into the eight twice this season, but they now have to bounce back again in a critical stretch of matches against other finals contenders. Here are five areas to address and give the Giants a boost.

Hang onto leads late in games

The Giants have now lost three matches where they were in front late in the game but couldn't hold on long enough to claim the four points. 

It started in round one at Giants Stadium, when they led St Kilda by 12 points at the 15-minute mark of the final term but gave up four of the last five goals to lose by eight points. 

The Giants looked like pulling off a spirited victory over reigning premier Richmond in round nine, leading by as much as 28 points halfway through the third term and still holding a 15-point advantage at the 18-minute mark of the final quarter. But the Tigers then controlled the game and scored 3.3 to 0.2 to win by four points.

THE RUN HOME Six into two doesn't go, who wants in?

Last week against the Suns, a determined defensive effort against a team finishing with a strong breeze behind them looked like helping the Giants to an inspired victory as they led by 11 points at the 24-minute mark. But the Suns kicked two late goals to snatch a one-point thriller.

The Giants should at least be buoyed by their one last-gasp, come-from-behind victory this season being against their next opponents, when they kicked four of last five majors, including the final goal with 70 seconds remaining, to steal a two-point win against Sydney at the SCG.

Boost the aerial power

The Giants give their forwards fewer opportunities than most teams, ranked 14th for inside 50s with an average of 50.7 a game. But even when the ball enters the forward 50 the Giants are struggling to hold it close to goal.

They are ranked last in the League for marks inside 50 with only 9.1 a game, often turning to Toby Greene as their first-choice target despite him standing at 182cm. 

The superstar forward has kicked 35 goals and is stronger in the air than his height might suggest with an average 1.8 marks inside 50 a game, but he could do with more support from key forwards Harry Himmelberg (21 goals, ave 1.1 marks inside 50) and Jeremy Finlayson (22, 1.3).

It's hoped the addition of Jesse Hogan will boost the aerial threat, especially as he averages 2.4 marks inside 50 across his career. But the Giants will be wary of relying too much on the 26-year-old until he proves his body can hold up to playing regular football again.

Raise the forward pressure

The smaller forwards also need to do more to trap the ball closer to goal and create repeat entries, with the lack of pressure revealed by the Giants being ranked 14th for tackles inside 50 at 8.9 a game.

This is one area where Greene doesn't lead from the front, only wrapping up 10 tackles in the forward 50 this season while Himmelberg has claimed 17. 

Bobby Hill has kicked 13 goals and is averaging one inside-50 tackle a game but could make more of his speed to close down opposition defenders, especially with the Giants lacking other zippy smalls focused on forward pressure.

Tanner Bruhn is a competitive first-year player who could be suited to a role focused on hassling opposition defences, while also being fast and classy enough to offer a scoring threat.

The midfield needs to step up in Mummy's absence

Shane Mumford was expected to be a back-up to recruit Braydon Preuss and youngsters Matt Flynn and Kieren Briggs this season but has already played in more than half of the Giants' matches. 

The 35-year-old has been involved in almost all of their wins too, being part of six victories and a draw in nine matches. The Giants have only won once and lost six without him.

But with Mumford's ongoing knee and back issues limiting his availability and already ruling him out of the clash with the Swans this week, it's as much up to the midfield to step up as it is for Flynn or Briggs to step in for the veteran ruckman.

While the star-studded midfield prides itself on winning the contested ball and clearance battles within each game, they have struggled in that key area when Mumford isn't playing.

The Giants are +117 for contested disposals and +74 in clearances when Mumford is in the line-up, and -66 for contested ball and -27 clearances when the ruckman is watching from the sidelines.

Josh Kelly and Callan Ward have returned to some of their best form, while Jacob Hopper and Tim Taranto have further improved this season, but now is the opportunity for the midfield group to prove that they don't have to rely on a banged-up Mumford.

Embrace homes away from home

The Giants have a reasonable record on the road this season, winning four and drawing one of the eight matches where they have been hosted away from Giants Stadium and Manuka Oval. 

But they were unable to follow this form line when playing home games away from home against a couple of lower-ranked teams, as the Giants had to do recently against Hawthorn at the MCG and the Suns at Mars Stadium.

While the Giants are naturally reluctant to present their case publicly, it is easy to argue that their win-loss record has suffered from having two matches initially fixtured at Giants Stadium, where they have a 3-1 record, moved interstate due to the current COVID-19 crisis in NSW.

With their 'home' leg of the Sydney derby now scheduled to be played at Metricon Stadium at 6.10pm AEST on Sunday, the Giants need to show they're prepared to be hostile hosts away from Giants Stadium.