27 sleeps to go

One more sleep down which means only 27 left until March 7^th and NRL 2013 and only one more sleep until the All Star match up. So let’s reveal the next player in the NRL 2013 advent calendar

#27 Josh Dugan

It feels like Dugan has been around a long time, but as he enters his 5th season, he's still a very young bloke at just 22. Dugan was part of the first wave of youngsters to graduate from the Toyota Cup system, his Canberra outfit winning the inaugural competition in 2008 with Dugan being the first winner of the Jack Gibson medal awarded to the winner of the Toyota Cup final Man of the Match. Starring at fullback but able to slot in at five-eighth if required, Dugan's Toyota Cup success transferred quickly into the NRL where he has made his mark as one of the most talented guys around, resulting in All Star honors and a selection for the NSW Origin side.

Dugan has all the needed to make the top 10 of this list, if not higher. He can boot the ball an absolute mile and often plays similarly to Jarryd Hayne in the way he will insert himself into the halves on attack to get himself further involved or put his powerful boot to use. While he may not have the hulking figure of a Greg Inglis, he's one of the most destructive backs in the business, shedding tackles with the best of them. Last season, he ranked 7th in the NRL with 100 tackle busts, this despite playing only 17 games on the year and this ability makes him one of the most threatening guys around in the 1 jersey when bringing the ball back...

Yeah, it's one of those annoying videos where some bloke is filming his TV

and while Dugan doesn't quite get all the way on that one, it's a prime example of the type of style Dugan plays. He isn't the fastest guy around, though he is fast, he isn't the strongest guy around, though he is much stronger than he looks, but he just has an uncanny ability to shed tacklers, to spin away from them, to slip his body free and he has a fantastic step. At times you'd think his body was made of rubber the way he seems to twist and bend his way around the field. To cap it off he's composed and he certainly knows where the try line is, except to see the trademark ankle socks sprint away for a few this year...

Well I could pass, but tries are worth more Dream Team points than assists

For all of the talent Dugan possesses on attack, he's also tough as nails. Don't let his rock star, faux hawk, tattooed look fool you, plays in a fearless, reckless fashion. Like the best fullbacks, he's not afraid to launch himself into the air to pluck down the high ball, and he's more than willing to put his body on the line to tackle whoever is running at him and again his deceptive strength serves him well here...

When we were young, we'd have our fun by playing on the motorway tackling trucks also.

But it's this reckless, kamikaze like playing style that has been Dugan's downfall. While he has all the tools to be amongst the absolute elite of the game, to be a regular in the NSW side and pushing for an Australian jumper, his body simply hasn't been able to handle what he has tried to put it through. While at times he may look like he is made of rubber, he also often appears to be made of glass and it's a tremendous shame that at such a young age, Dugan just seems to constantly be an injury waiting to happen. He's by no means soft, he isn't the type to get a little banged up and limp over to the sideline. Last season he dislocated the AC joint in his shoulder, requiring reconstruction Dugan was advised that he couldn't actually damage it any further, so that's all he needed, padded it up and was happy to play on, there was an Origin jersey to earn...

Well I just had so many tattoos that I decided I needed to try something different

Entering 2013, if Dugan's body can hold up, then he'll likely be quickly thrust back into the Origin scene, and the competition will be much better with a healthy Josh Dugan flying about. From his playing style on attack, to the fearless approach he has in defense, the tattoos, the ear piercings, the hairstyles, he's one of the most entertaining figures in the game, a true star in all facets and even if you don't like him, your girlfriend probably does, plus he's one of the few blokes who may have as many tattoos as Todd Carney

Accused murderer and NFL legend Ray Lewis is an inspiration to many of us

Check back in tomorrow as we progress to only 26 more sleeps and 26 more players in my top 30. Feel free to comment or judge in the comments or on Twitter @WellsNorthShore