Are you ready for this one?

Josh Dugan is not Jarryd Hayne.

Josh Dugan is Josh Dugan.

I know, I know ... given everything we've heard and read over the past couple of weeks - or months - you could be forgiven for thinking otherwise.

The fact is no two rugby league players are the same.

Sure, there is a finite number of positions you can play on a rugby league field.

But the people who occupy those roles are not all cut from the same cloth.

Hayne is - or was - a sensational rugby league player.

In my mind he has been NSW's best player over the past six years ... perhaps longer.

Hayne can be credited largely for the Blues' success in 2014 when we broke an eight-year drought.

So whoever stepped into the state's fullback spot in 2015 was always going to have big shoes to fill.

And, perhaps regrettably, they were always going to be compared to Hayne.

But rest assured Laurie Daley has found a candidate more than suitable for the role in Dugan.

This former "bad boy" of the game is now one of the NRL's superstars.

A lot has been written about Dugan in the lead-up to Origin I, and you can understand why.

He is one of the game's great redemption stories.

He was turfed by Canberra barely three years ago and is now an Australian representative.

Behind Billy Slater, he could be the country's best fullback.

And fullback is where he should stay.

He performed really well at right centre during last year's Origin series, and probably struggled a little bit on the wing for the Kangaroos a few weeks ago.

He's the type of player who needs room to move.

You can't anchor him to one side of the field; he plays his best football when he has the freedom to run laterally.

And doesn't he run the ball well?

You think of guys like Karmichael Hunt when talking about fullbacks who run the ball back hard.

Well Dugan is right up there with the best of them.

He's like a freight train coming back from his defensive line.

And his defence has gone up a gear again under Dragons coach Paul McGregor.

People are questioning whether Dugan will be NSW's long-term fullback option.

I know he's 25 now, but he could hold the Blues No 1 jumper for the next decade, in my opinion.

Injuries are the obvious concerns over longevity, though.

Matt Moylan looks to be threatening Dugan's position, but I see the young Panthers talent as more of a playmaker than a fullback.

Moylan has been so impressive in camp and there's no doubt he will be a great player for NSW - and even Australia - in the coming years.

But imagine a Blues team with Moylan wearing six and Dugan wearing one.

All you need is a halfback, a few big forwards and a couple of talented outside backs and we will be unstoppable.

But Dugan now needs to force selectors' hands for future series.

It's well and good to talk about how talented a player he is and how impressive he is at training, but only he can ensure himself a place in NSW's line-up.

And what better time than Wednesday night in front of a packed ANZ Stadium.

This opening game will be so important for setting the tone for the entire series.

Daley has picked a crack team for Origin I, now it's up to the players to go out there and make a statement.

As we saw last year, winning the first game gives you the best chance of winning the series.

I'm not interested in hearing how old the Queensland team is, either.

There will be 17 quality players taking on 17 quality players, and it's anyone's game.

Let's hope the Blues can get the job done.