Bulldogs coach Steve Folkes has labelled his side as "brain-dead" after the Wests Tigers scored a stunning 34-18 upset NRL win at Telstra Stadium.

The Bulldogs went into the match as heavy favourites but were never in the contest, the Tigers running away with the match in the second half to come out six tries to three victors.

Young Tigers centre Dean Collis did his chances of winning a City jumper no harm with a first-half double before setting up a try for Daniel Fitzhenry in the 62nd minute which sealed the result.

The Bulldogs threatened several times to get back into the contest, most notably when Sonny Bill Williams ran onto a beautiful Brent Sherwin inside flick pass to close the gap to 22-12 just before the hour.

But they were let down by their own ball control and woeful defence, Folkes guaranteeing he would wield the axe before his side's next game against Newcastle.

"That was probably our worst performance of the year. At a time when we should be getting better we're going the other way - very disappointing," Folkes said.

"It's attitude, it's intensity - we just lacked all that. You turn the ball over as much as we did, you deserve to get beat.

"We probably gifted them four tries and we bombed a couple ourselves - when we had an opportunity to get back into it in the second half we just couldn't get the ball over the line and then we gave a couple of more tries.

"There's really no excuse for it - we're sadly out of form and we need to turn it around very quickly."

Tigers coach Tim Sheens praised his side's ability to handle the greasy conditions, claiming his troops carried out the game plan perfectly.

"Our kicking game was probably the best it's been for a long long time," he said.

"We made them work hard every time from their own goal line and that's the only way you really get anywhere against the Bulldogs is keep them on their own line."

Sheens saved special praise for Collis, hooker Robbie Farah and young prop Bryce Gibbs, all three likely to feature when the Sheens-coached City side is announced on Sunday night.

Down 16-6 at the break the Bulldogs had to be first to score but Chris Armit and Willie Tonga both lost the ball with a try looming.

They paid the price for their inability to capitalise when Benji Marshall, who had an all round quiet game despite finishing with 14 points, pounced on an errant pass from Bulldogs fullback Luke Patten to race 75 metres to score.

Williams cut the deficit to 10 before Fitzhenry sealed it with 18 minutes to go, Hazem El Masri and Tigers second-rower Chris Heighington sharing consolation tries.

There was plenty of feeling early, with three players bandaged up within the opening 20 minutes after suffering head cuts.

There was also plenty of action on the scoreboard in that time, with Collis' double sandwiched around a soft try to Bulldogs prop Willie Mason, a Dene Halatau bust setting up the Tigers' opening points after four minutes.

Bulldogs winger Trent Cutler gifted Collis his second when he fumbled a Marshall grubber before John Morris danced and dummied his way over the line for a 10-point half-time lead.

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