Canterbury youngster Ofahiki Ogden won't be overawed by the prospect of filling Dylan Napa's boots.
Napa, who has been ruled out for up to to six weeks with an ankle injury, made a point of speaking to the 22-year-old this week ahead of the biggest game of his NRL career, against St George Illawarra.
Ogden will start for the first time against the Dragons and be asked to bring the Bulldogs some size and power against a pack including James Graham, Tyson Frizell and Paul Vaughan.
"Me and Napa are kind of the same shape. He's been talking to me a bit and giving me confidence for this week," Ogden said.
"He said just to do what I do, run hard and tackle hard. That has given me confidence. I don't have to worry about anything other than to do my job for the team.
"It is exciting for me. I've just got to take it as another game, just prepare myself every week the same and trust myself what I do at training is what I do on the field."
The Kiwi junior has impressed in two games for Canterbury since being called up from reserve grade in round three.
But Napa's absence is a huge blow to the Bulldogs, who will start without a top-tier representative forward at prop or lock since mid-2015.
"He's a different player to Dylan," coach Dean Pay said.
"I just want Ofa to play like Ofa. I don't want him to play like Dylan. I just want him to play his own game and be really good at it.
"He's a kid that's only got 15 games or something; he's another kid that is really enjoying his footy and being around the place and enjoying the challenge."
Meanwhile Dragons coach Paul McGregor has told his team to clean up their handling after two one-point wins to kickstart their season.
"We're relieving pressure fundamentally with some really uncharacteristic areas from key players," McGregor said.
"We've got to make sure (on Sunday) we take a little bit more control of the important times in field position and get through our sets a little cleaner. It's just a concentration thing."
STATS THAT MATTER:
* Canterbury have won four of five against Saints at Kogarah.
* Dragons hooker Cameron McInnes leads the NRL for dummy-half run metres.
* Jayden Okunbor has run 482 metres in his first two NRL games.
(Stats: Fox Sports)
Australian Associated Press
