Struggling Canterbury have been told to shrug "the weight of the world" off their shoulders for Friday's must-win NRL clash with the Wests Tigers.

The Bulldogs have found it difficult to put their fingers on why they've only managed three wins from 11 starts in 2010, but lightening up is their latest theory as they look to snap a four-game losing streak at ANZ Stadium.

"(Coach) Kev (Moore) probably touched on it through the week, he said it at halftime last week, that we looked like we've got the weight of the world on our shoulders and I suppose that was a little bit right," captain Andrew Ryan said on Thursday.

"We probably need to just be confident in our ability and get out there and play footy and enjoy it I suppose."

Moore said that meant realising last Sunday's fightback from 23-0 down at halftime against Melbourne to eventually lose 23-12 was the start of something.

"It's just about a bit of belief and coming to training and focusing on all the positives and getting some good body language and some confidence around the camp," he said.

"There were some really positive signs at the back end of the game against Melbourne and we need to take that solid form from the second half into the game tomorrow night and do it for 80 minutes.

"We finished the game really strongly.

"From a statistical point of view our stats have aimed up pretty good with regard to line breaks and errors and offloads and missed tackles and all those sorts of things.

"So I think the foundation is there.

"Not once have we picked the same 17 week-in week-out, we've done that this week so for me that's a great opportunity to improve on last week."

Moore has no shortage of motivators for the clash with the Tigers, who recently bounced back from four straight losses themselves.

Last time the sides met, a 24-4 Bulldogs victory in round six, the game ended in controversy when Tigers prop Bryce Gibbs allegedly made a religious slur against Mormon Bulldogs prop Ben Hannant.

"We haven't spoken about that at all and I haven't spoken to any of the players individually about it so I don't think it will be much of an issue," Ryan said.

This week, it emerged veterans Ryan and Luke Patten could be in their final seasons in the blue and white with the club allowing them to explore their options.

And Michael Ennis always enjoys a duel with arch rival Robbie Farah, a showdown which has this time been overshadowed by the Dogs' woes.

Canterbury are also taking heart from the Tigers' own turnaround with wins over Newcastle and the Warriors in the past two weeks.

"That's the way football is at the moment," Moore said.

"You can very quickly turn a period of bad form around with a good performance and that's what we've got to aim to do."

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