He's been entrusted with getting the Bulldogs to within sight of the grand final, but the next fortnight will also give new halfback Daniel Holdsworth a chance to save his NRL career.

Holdsworth, off contract at the end of the season, has been anointed as the man to replace injured playmaker Brett Kimmorley in the Bulldogs' No.7 jumper.

Kimmorley is not expected back until week three of the finals after having three plates inserted into a cheekbone fracture suffered in Sunday's big win over the Warriors, giving Holdsworth an unexpected audition for a new NRL contract.

His first assignment is against Wests Tigers on Friday night when the Bulldogs will attempt to secure the minor premiership, but the real test will follow when he tries to get the club safely through to the third week of the finals.

"I'm pretty excited, it's a good opportunity for me and bad luck for Noddy," Holdsworth said.

"I was probably only going to get another crack if there was an injury or something or a reshuffle on the bench."

Bulldogs chief executive Todd Greenberg admitted salary cap pressures had left the club struggling to come up with the money to make Holdsworth an offer.

"We haven't made him an offer and I'm not sure if he's received some offers from other clubs, but currently he's in a bit of grey territory I suppose," Greenberg said.

"I suppose the next few weeks he can send a strong message to us and to other clubs to prove his worth - it's a great opportunity for him."

But playing for his NRL future isn't the only pressure Holdsworth is facing, with the former St George Illawarra pivot fully aware of the importance of his upcoming stint at the scrumbase.

"We've got something to lose - we could lose a semi ... but I'm not going in there thinking like that," Holdsworth said.

"I'm just going in there to fit in the team - we've got a good structure and I will play my role and hopefully we'll get a couple of wins

"I've played a couple of teams this year and I'll just play how I play and that's it.

"Noddy's his own player and he's a damm good halfback - I'll just go out there and play to the best of my ability."

However Holdsworth knows that no matter how well he plays, Kimmorley will be rushed straight back into the side when fit.

"I'm pretty sure of that, yeah," Holdsworth conceded.

Bulldogs coach Kevin Moore claimed not much would change with Holdsworth leading the team around the paddock.

And as for the pressure of finals football, Moore said the 25-year-old had already proven he was up to the task.

"You go back to 2006 when we made it through to the game before the grand final and Daniel played every game in first grade that year and was outstanding," Moore said.

"In fact he got injured when we were leading convincingly against Brisbane - he's been there before and done that.

"I think it's tremendous that the club has got the sort of depth we've got to bring Daniel in who's played 80 first grade games, he's already played about ten games with the side this year and he knows the style of footy we play inside out."

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