Wests Tigers captain Robbie Farah has promised wonderkid Mitchell Moses "can only get better" after the young fullback's starring performance in his side's 46-18 dismantling of the Bulldogs on Sunday afternoon.
In just his third game in the top grade, Moses earned Man of the Match honours having had a hand in the first six of his side's eight tries and more importantly, helping his side move to equal sixth spot on the ladder.
One of four teams on 22 points, they sit in ninth spot on for-and-against.
Farah revealed he had begged coach Mick Potter to blood the 19-year-old "months" ago and declared Sunday's performance was only a glimpse of Moses' untapped potential.
"I've been at the coach for weeks, probably months, to give him a run. He's just one of those kids - when you see him at training, you know he's got it," Farah said post-game.
"He's a confident kid. Sometimes you get young kids that are thrown into first grade and they're scared to talk and scared to overcall but there's none of that with him.
"He's demanding the ball off me. He's always talking at the back. That's what we need. It's a taste of what he can do and he can only get better."
Potter also spoke glowingly of the fullback's self-confidence and said he wasn't surprised by a stat line that read: 121 metres, two line breaks and four try assists.
"He's always been a confident kid and he always plays his hand. He's not shy," Potter said. "He's got very good vision and he knows where to be at the right place, right time. It's no coincidence he come up with those stats."
Moses' performance was even more impressive given he has been carrying a groin injury for a number of weeks. The Holy Cross Ryde graduate looked to have aggravated the problem in the first half and was relieved of goalkicking duties but said post-game it wasn't a major concern.
"I had a little tweak during the week. It's all good, I went in at halftime, had some treatment on it, it's alright now. I've had it for a while but it should be alright. I pulled up sweet after the game," he said.
After two nondescript outings in his first two games in the NRL, Moses said he took it upon himself to get more involved in the Tigers' attack.
"I stepped into the halfback role a bit as well today, along with playing as a one coming out the back," he said.
"That's the kind of role I wanted to play in the first couple of rounds. I think I was a bit, not shy to play, but I just stepped back a bit. Today I took a bit more ownership on that role.
"It was just on me having a bit of confidence in myself and the way I play. I'm not here for no reason. Just a bit of confidence, just getting in, taking the ball and bossing these big boys around. [Even] the leadership team, bossing them around and stuff like that.
"That's my role. Coming into grade, Mick told me I've got to boss all the boys around. He wants me loud and clear to all the boys and getting them to the spots. I gotta live up that role and I thought I did that today."
