Mitchell Moses doesn't lack skill and he certainly doesn't lack confidence.
And the Wests Tigers young gun is out to prove he's also as tough as they come.
That's because at 80kg ringing wet, the one thing Moses does have in unusually short supply, is size.
To put it in perspective, he's nine kilograms lighter than best mate and diminutive Tigers halfback Luke Brooks.
He sits alongside Parramatta's Chris Sandow and St George Illawarra's Adam Quinlan as the lightest of the NRL featherweights.
If Moses was in two minds about the physical barrage he can expect in first grade, Manly's Justin Horo rammed it down his neck with a vicious crusher tackle last week that's seen the Sea Eagles back rower suspended for three matches.
To his credit, Moses kept getting off the canvas and continued to run the ball against Manly - and it will have to be the same against the monster Canterbury side this Sunday.
Moses freely admits he has a big off-season ahead of him later this year, needing to bulk up if he's going to make his impact as a playmaker.
But the 19-year-old isn't about to sit back and wait for his body to fill out - he's determined to prove he's up to taking the punishment of week-to-week NRL.
"I think on the weekend was just a little taste of first grade and how hard it's for me personally," Moses told AAP.
"I didn't think I'd show (weakness) or anything. I'm going to get that every week.
"I'm only a little bloke so I've got to show I'm tough enough to play the game.
"To play the position you've got to keep carrying the ball and don't show anything."
Moses has been outstanding in the lower grades this year since returning from injury and was set for a debut back in May before he was stood down for a homophobic slur he made in the under 20s State of Origin match.
But Moses says he learnt a "lesson" from the entire episode and knew he had to keep working hard.
Aside from admitting what he said to an opponent in the heat of the battle was unacceptable, Moses also received a crash course on his responsibilities in the media spotlight.
"That was my first game on TV that year, I wasn't used to having mics on," he said.
"It taught me a bit of a lesson."
Moses and Brooks both signed long-term deals with the Tigers last year, based on the belief that they can dominate together for a long time to come.
The pair have played together since they were 12 through the grades and for their school, Holy Cross College Ryde.
They sense the future is bright, but Moses says the Tigers pups want to deliver in the here and now.
Teetering in 10th place, the Tigers are viewing the Bulldogs clash as critical to their top eight hopes.
"Luke is the main factor why I stayed ... just our connection. We are backing each other's ability," he said.
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