A player swap centred around 18-year-old Finau Latu could be coming before the June 30 transfer deadline.
Latu, a product of St. George Illawarra's pathway system, has already signed with Canterbury-Bankstown for 2026 and beyond.
In a bid to secure his services early, the Bulldogs are reportedly trying to offer a player swap to their Sydney rivals.
MORE: Trade smarter with eToro, the world's leading social investing platform
On Triple M Breakfast with Beau and Woodsy, The Triple M Whisperer spoke to the potential move.
"A big player swap between the Bulldogs and the Dragons is on the cards before the June 30 deadline," he said.
"The Bulldogs want Finau Latu early and are working with the Dragons to see which players goes the other way."
In 2024, Latu helped the Dragons break a 32-year premiership drought in the SG Ball before being called up to Jersey Flegg and New South Wales Cup.
Shane Flanagan expressed his displeasure about Latu's decision to leave the club in a fiery media availability.
"We’ve brought that young bloke up the last three or four years, and we wanted to keep him and never got an opportunity to," he said.
“It’s been handled poorly, terribly.
"Sometimes you lose them because you’re not willing to pay a certain fee, or you don’t want the player, but we wanted to keep him, and we’re not happy."
Who could the Bulldogs offer in a swap?
Flanagan's resentment of the move may be a roadblock to eventually executing a swap, however, the Bulldogs have a few players in their top-30 that could immediately add value to the Dragons roster.
Drew Hutchinson is in the last year of his deal and could be a piece that the Red V would like to add.
The Dragon's halves have been under the microscope to begin the season, with Lachlan Ilias being dropped to reserve grade and Kyle Flanagan attracting criticism for his own play.
Hutchinson is a steady number seven that has versatility at other positions in the backline, a player who complements what they already have on the roster.
Another swap candidate is winger Blake Wilson who has played 25 games for Canterbury-Bankstown.
Wilson is in the last year of an extension he signed two years ago and is set to become a free agent at the end of the season.
The 24-year-old has had an injury-riddled start to his NRL career which could make him a good buy-low option for the Dragons.