Wests Tigers NRL skipper Robbie Farah claims underrated playmakers Tim Moltzen and Robert Lui are showing the benefits of last year's final heartache.

While much of the focus during the Tigers' nine-match winning streak has centred on Farah and five-eighth Benji Marshall, Farah said the development of Lui and Moltzen as key planks in the side's attack could not be underestimated.

The Tigers' winning run has coincided with Moltzen's move to fullback for the round-19 clash with North Queensland, while Farah claimed Lui's effort in last week's win over St George Illawarra showed just how far the 21-year-old halfback has come.

In what was his first full year in the Tigers No.7 jumper, Lui was an almost passive member of the side's attack in the 2010 finals - with losses to the Sydney Roosters and Dragons sandwiching a win over Canberra - but has emerged as the perfect foil to dominant partners Farah and Marshall.

"Guys like Rob Lui, especially as a young halfback, he really stepped up to the plate on Friday night," Farah said.

"Those experiences from last year have definitely helped.

"It was tough last year what we went through, obviously with the Roosters game and then the Dragons game. Both were losses you never forget but, hopefully, we can learn from those and draw from those experiences."

Moltzen's 2010 campaign was ruined by a knee reconstruction that limited him to just five games, and it took a fair portion of the 2011 season for him to find a role in the side.

But he was one of the Tigers' best last Friday against the Dragons - the club he will join in 2012 - his cut-out pass to set up Beau Ryan's second-half try a pivotal play in the game.

"Timmy's been playing great footy at fullback, and fullback's such an important position these days," Farah said.

"He's got his confidence back now and it was always going to take some time, having come back off the knee reconstruction.

"At the start of the year, he was coming off the bench and some games was playing 10 or 20 minutes and getting chopped and changed around in different positions.

"It was hard for him to find that fluency in one position and, about nine weeks ago, he got the start at fullback and he hasn't looked back.

"He's been awesome and we've formed a really good combination in the middle with myself and Benji and Moltz and Robbie."

As expected, Tigers coach Tim Sheens made just the one change to his side to face the Warriors in Friday night's semi-final, with centre Chris Lawrence returning from injury in place of Matt Utai who was named on a six-man bench.

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