Wests Tigers playmakers Mitchell Moses and Luke Brooks are embracing the biggest challenge of their young careers as they fight to avoid another slaughter at the hands of Canterbury.
Moses and Brooks will be shouldering extra responsibility this week with key senior players Robbie Farah, Aaron Woods and James Tedesco in State of Origin camp with NSW.
Still fresh in the Tigers' memories is their last encounter between the two sides in round 10 when the Dogs ran out 36-4 winners, prompting criticism against their halves.
Brooks and Moses were panned by league greats Andrew Johns and Peter Sterling for their lack of involvement but the game proved a turning point for them and their season.
They have won four of the last six, shooting them into top eight contention, with Brooks and Moses showing significant improvement since then.
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Moses said he was revelling in the added responsibility of having to control the team with their three biggest names missing, knowing that it shapes as an enormous game in the context of their season.
"It's put a bit more pressure on me but I'm happy to have that on my shoulders," Moses said.
"It'll be a tough game, the Bulldogs have been in good form.
"We're in for a tough task and without (Tedesco).
"We'll just have to end our sets a lot better, we haven't been ending our sets well the last couple of weeks.
"We'll be looking to do that and make the Bulldogs come off their own line."
The Tigers are 12th but only one win behind eighth-placed Warriors and are due to have the bye next week.
