Parramatta Eels have agreed to release Clint Gutherson effective immediately.
He is set to take up a 3 year deal with the St-George Illawarra Dragons.
Story by Michael Chammas, SMH
Clint Gutherson’s tenure at Parramatta is over after the club granted the captain an immediate release from his final year at the Eels.
Gutherson has played his final game for the Eels and is on the verge of securing a three-year deal with the St George Illawarra Dragons just 24 hours after they agreed to a mutual termination of the contract with their captain Ben Hunt.
Gutherson is the second NRL club skipper in as many days to sever ties with his respective club after his management requested an immediate release from his contract on Wednesday afternoon.
The Eels held a board meeting on Wednesday night and agreed to grant the fullback his request to part ways effective immediately.
The Eels will not pay any part of his $875,000 salary with St George Illawarra indicating they were in a position to pay the fullback the value of his Parramatta deal.
Another club has also expressed interest but the Dragons are in the box seat to announce his deal as early as this week. The Dragons have also expressed interest in securing Gutherson in 2026 and 2027 on a lucrative contract. The contract hinges on a medical assessment.
Gutherson’s future has been up in the air for several months after new coach Jason Ryles informed him that he planned on moving the veteran out of his usual fullback role.
At first the Eels offered the position to Blaize Talagi but when he signed with the Panthers, Parramatta secured Dylan Edwards’ deputy Isaiah Iongi from Penrith as their No.1 for next year.
Gutherson, who was told that he would be used as a hooker/lock if he stayed at the Eels in 2025, is convinced he still has plenty to offer at fullback and the Dragons are keen to hand the 30-year-old the No.1 jersey next year.
It’s expected to see Tyrell Sloan shift to the wing to accommodate his arrival.
“If it was to happen, Tyrell’s still got a big part,” Flanagan recently said.
“I think it’d be fantastic for Tyrell’s development to have someone like Gutho around. Tyrell could play on the wing. So if I need to have that conversation with Tyrell I will, but I haven’t as yet because it’s a little bit pie in the sky stuff at the moment.”
Gutherson will also come into consideration for the Dragons’ captaincy role that has been vacated by Hunt’s departure, but the frontrunner for the job is South Sydney recruit Damien Cook.
Replies
Good analysis Richard.
Agreed, I think Gutho deserves it
Gutherson Brown Moses r top players and we couldn't win a trick ,hope a hooker is coming
I've loved having Gutho at Parra. His guts, grit, heart and soul approach to giving everything he's got is as good as anyone I've ever seen. He didn't have the natural talent of some others, but he became a state and national representative and a club captain off the back of hard bloody work and crazy levels of resilience.
I admire the man. He'll be missed and I'll hate watching us play against him.
Would have loved him to stay another year but I totally get his decision to set him and his family up on a longer contract.
God speed King Gutho. You're a freak of a competitor, and I love it.
Nicely spoken Captain, you are class.
Yes you can't fault his commitment to becoming a better player than he was born to be. He was always the bloke without the natural talent and it was the extra work he did that got him to be a better player. I'll leave it at that .
Excellent we got rid of a Has been
Still no club statement. The place is a disgrace. Dragons released a statement immediately about the Ben Hunt release.
Trolling surely.
Great player Gutho, and probably would've been needed for 2025. But we need to move on. We really need to start building. If we take some of these ballsy moves we could be competing agian in 2 years. Ryles is going for it. I like it.
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