The men in the middle - players such as Trent Cotchin and Dustin Martin - have copped much of the blame for the Tigers' loss to Carlton in round one.
Hardwick described the deficit of 18 in the clearances as "a smashing of biblical proportions".
"If our midfield's not better than last week, we're in a lot of trouble," he said before Richmond's training session at Monash University on Wednesday.
"They were very, very poor last week.
"We need our midfield to generate some ball. We had some really disappointing performances in there that we've spoken about this week.
"If those guys get up and going then the ball gets going in our direction, which solves a lot of our problems."
Richmond has lost its last 13 games against St Kilda, a run that dates back to 2003. Yet Hardwick is focusing only on the two meetings that took place last season.
"Last year, obviously, was our first year as a group," he said. "We lost the two games by under six goals, so we're in reasonable form against the Saints.
"They're a terrific outfit, a well-structured outfit, and that's something we strive to be.
"It's a great test for our guys again, and one we're really looking forward to."
Given Richmond lost to Carlton by 10 goals in round one a year ago, last weekend's 20-point loss to the Blues was a big improvement.
But Hardwick continues to play down his team's prospects this season.
"They've come a long way, but they've still got a long way to go," he said. "You've got to remember that we're second year into a process that's probably going to take some time.
"We've brought a lot of players into the club - 24 over the last two years. Most of those are starting to contribute on a regular basis.
"Although it probably seems we've become younger than last year, I think we've become better also, which is a great step forward for us."
