The move could open the door for boom rookie Euan Aitken to be a shock first-round inclusion at centre having impressed in the pre-season. Only Dugan and winger Jason Nightingale are certainties  in the Dragons outside backs with the likes of Aitken, Dane Nielsen and Dylan Farrell, Peter Mata'utia and Charly Runciman competing for the remaining three spots. Aitken played for the Junior Kangaroos last year.

While Dugan had success after his mid-season switch to centre last year, his return to fullback has drawn support from halves Benji Marshall and Gareth Widdop in a move which could see him replace Jarryd Hayne as NSW fullback. "[Dugan] was our best player last year," Marshall said. "Him back at fullback, I think that's going to add a lot to our kick returns."

Widdop added: "Everyone knows how good of a ball-runner Dugan is. Our new structures will allow him to do that. It's good to see him out [at fullback], he has had a big pre-season."

Widdop, Dugan and Marshall will need to fire as the Dragons look to revamp their attacking structures in a bid to avoid missing the finals for the fourth consecutive years. Four Nations duties meant Widdop only returned to training in the new year and has been impressed by the change in plans. "The structure around training has been a lot different," Widdop said. "We've spent a lot more time with the ball in the hand than last year. At the end of last year I sat down with the coach and had a review of individual and teams. He took in what the boys had to say. As a team we are together a lot more. Benji has pretty much been running the boys around. I took a backseat for the first week or two to learn the new structures but once you do it over and over again it becomes second nature."

A pre-season alongside Marshall has also taken the pressure off Widdop, with the halves to play on the same side of the field this year. The former Storm pivot was forced to played with three different halves partners in the opening nine rounds before Marshall joined the side last year. "[A combination] is always hard when someone comes half way through the year," Widdop said. "We had to deal with that. As the year went on we got better as a combination. "The new structure will mean we will play together [on the field] a lot more than we did."