Richmond captain Chris Newman believes the AFL club's new training facility was needed to lift their on-field performance.

The new $20 million development at the Tigers' Punt Road base - including a spacious gym, hot and cold pools to aid recovery and a lap pool - was launched on Tuesday, although players were already using it last week.

Newman said it would lift a club seeking their first finals appearance in a decade.

"It's a huge change and a change that we probably needed," Newman said.

"I think we fell behind in that area and we're state of the art now.

"So it's a huge difference and I think it will make a difference on the field."

Richmond play St Kilda on Friday night, and after 13 straight losses against the Saints, Newman said they felt ready to break that streak, which stretches back to 2003.

"We feel like we've got a good list now," he said.

"We didn't get the result (against Carlton) last week, which was really disappointing, but we were in a position to win the game.

"We're very much looking forward to the challenge."

Star forward Jack Riewoldt will be the key, having booted 13 goals against the Saints in two meetings last year and demonstrated his form last weekend with six against the Blues.

But the reigning Coleman Medallist attempted to shift the focus from himself, as the club seeks other goal kickers to ease the reliance on him.

"I'm just going to keep trying to play my role for the side and try to provide whatever I can for the club," Riewoldt said.

"We've played some good footy against the Saints over the last couple of years as a squad.

"We're going in with no illusions, they've played in two grand finals over the last two years and been right up there over the last four or five years.

"It's going to be a tough game."

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