It can't be dismissed as a mere pipedream, given Hayne's spectacular efforts to seal a place on the 49ers' roster and especially with American scouts now considering Australian rugby league athletes the flavour of the month.

"If I had the opportunity to do it I would give it a crack," Dugan told Channel Nine reporter and Fairfax columnist Danny Weidler.

"I feel like I could make an impact over there as well.

"We have similar sort of games and he's a special player, and I like to see myself as a similar sort of player. I feel like I could definitely do some of the things he's doing over there."

Dugan hardly played down the idea afterwards when the social-media trolls inevitably emerged to attack his TV comments.

"There's always doubters to someone's ambition, lucky your [sic] all experts huh? Haha Always dream, always be ambitious!" Dugan tweeted.

"Also never doubted how hard @jarrydhayne-1 worked to achieve his dream! Been following his every move knowing he'd make it when a lot didn't".

Any thought of Dugan following the Hayne Plane is merely a distraction on the eve of the Dragons' biggest game since they went out of the 2011 finals series in straight sets.

St George Illawarra need Dugan to conjure every bit of Hayne's game-breaking ability to help the Dragons upset Canterbury at ANZ Stadium on Saturday night.

As of Friday afternoon, the Dragons at $3.85 to win were lacking backers.

But it's the bigger picture - of having Dugan's head turned elsewhere - that is more concerning.

St George Illawarra officials view Dugan as the next captain, a move which could come sooner than later, given Ben Creagh has been "leading" the team from the bench for most of the season.

There's a sense of investment and reward in what Dugan delivers, given the opportunity they provided for him to play NRL again once he was finished with rooftop premixed drinks in Canberra.

Does Dugan still owe the Dragons?

Is it even a consideration in this highly-paid, ultra-professional, Generation Y, crazy, mixed-up world of ours?

Dugan's battle with Bulldogs fullback Brett Morris will be an intriguing subplot to Saturday night's elimination battle.

Morris took the lucrative deal and the chance to play alongside brother Josh again this year and has been a huge success story, even in a team which has misfired on their way to finishing fifth.

At the Dragons, Morris admitted he was never convinced about his ability to switch to fullback, but the Dogs' investment has paid off handsomely.

Now he has the chance to make his former club pay.

TIPPING THRILLER

COLLEAGUE Mitch Jennings' hopes of winning the Mercury NRL tipping panel looked dashed when Sisa Waqa was sin-binned in the second half of the Raiders' round-26 game against Parramatta.

The contest might have been inconsequential to the NRL finals, but the tipping crown was on the line, with Illawarra rugby league manager Chris Bannerman taking the Eels as the only point of difference in the final round.

Bannerman looked destined to take it out when the Eels hit the lead, but the undermanned Raiders hit back, scoring a try in extra-time, much to Jennings' relief.

SHARE YOUR PHOTOS

IT'S finals time and the Illawarra Mercury wants to share the action with you.

Use the #mercuryfinals hashtag and send us your photos from all junior and senior sport.

We'll also provide score updates and the latest news through the finals series.

The Mercury will have prizes during the finals for the best photos, just be sure to include the hashtag #mercuryfinals. You can find the Mercury sport Twitter account using @illawarramerc and @mercury_sports, or the Mercury Facebook page.