But as the curtain begins to close on the decorated careers of the Queensland and Australian superstars, stepping into the limelight and laying claim to the tag as the next "big three" are the baby-faced Tigers leading the joint-venture club into a new era.

Together, Mitchell Moses, Luke Brooks and James Tedesco – who played their first NRL game together in round one this year – will carry the hopes of the club for the next decade with their performances on the field and marketability off it.

But it almost didn't happen, with Tedesco last year agreeing to part ways with his close mates to sign a lucrative deal with the Canberra Raiders.

However, after a heart-to-heart with skipper Robbie Farah, and a period reflecting on the players he would potentially be leaving, Tedesco had a change of heart.

"Mitch and Brooksy were a big part of why I stayed," Tedesco said.

"It's not just our combination but my friendship with them. I probably told them first, along with a few of the other young boys, about signing with Canberra. They didn't want to judge and don't like to show too much emotion. They just said 'if that's what's best for you and that's what you want to do, then that's it'. In terms of footy and playing the best footy, that's the most important thing to me.

"Being here with them is going to be best for me and build my best combos and play my best footy. Going down to Canberra is a whole lifestyle change, living by myself and leaving my best mates here. Obviously I wasn't strong enough to go through with it. I'm happy I got the chance to stay. I'm very grateful."

When Tedesco was weighing up his future, Moses was in his ear trying to remind him of the possibilities on offer if he stayed at the Tigers.

"We thought that coming through we had a great crop of young kids and we felt we had a chance to do something special together at the club," Moses said.

"I said that to him. I was more than happy for him when he agreed to go but Farah pulled him aside and spoke to him and he finally got the message that something special is going to happen here."

When South Sydney halfback Adam Reynolds was asked to talk about the talented Wests Tigers trio he will line up against on Sunday, he also made reference to the Melbourne Storm veterans, drawing comparisons to them and the Tigers' young brigade.

"They are future stars," Reynolds said. "You watch Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Cameron Smith – I think them three are going to be the next big three that come through. Brooks had a good year last year and won rookie of the year. He's started this year well, too.

"When Tedesco is fit and healthy, he's unstoppable. I was lucky enough to play City alongside him. He's a special player."

Greg Inglis described Tedesco as a "special talent", but acknowledged the role Moses and Brooks will play in the club's bright future.

"The Wests Tigers have got a lot of valuable players in their side," Inglis said.

"They are young, they are hungry and they are enthusiastic. You can see it definitely. You've got Moses, Tedesco and Brooks. They are young and they are hungry. They were pretty impressive last year and they'll be looking to make a statement this year."

While Moses was keen to play down how significant his relationship and combination with Tedesco and Brooks is for the future of the Wests Tigers, he admitted the success of the club hinged on their development.

"There's a big expectation on us but I think some people don't realise we're only 20 years' old and still have a lot of time to develop our game," Moses said.

"I think there's a lot of things we need to add to our game before we can really control this club. For myself, I still have to cement my spot properly in this team. We've bought Josh Drinkwater and Tim Moltzen is coming back, so I still have to do a lot to cement my position in the team.

"In our positions we have to control the team. If we can be half the players they (Storm big three) are, we'll go a long way to doing well in the competition this year. We've still got a lot to learn and if we can get through the next couple of years, I think we'll have a lot of success."