https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...e/news-story/605d34ac107c59ae943233a9cad123eb
Brad Arthur: Clint Gutherson’s return has sparked Parramatta’s revival and it’s no coincidence
Paul Crawley, The Daily Telegraph
May 4, 2018 4:39pm
ONE player doesn’t make a football team.
But Clint Gutherson has shown in the last three weeks his energy and attitude makes one hell of a difference to Parramatta.
And it probably shouldn’t come as any great surprise.
Because even when Gutherson was still recovering from his knee injury and unable to compete during pre-season training, he still found a way to inspire his teammates.
Back in January, Brad Arthur took the players to a camp on the Central Coast that culminated in that torturous sand dune run that Jarryd Hayne finished last in.
At the time, Hayne’s performance became the big issue that everyone outside the club focused on.
But inside the camp, it was the effort from the injured Gutherson that helped set the standard.
While in previous years Gutherson led the pace on this run, this time he wasn’t allowed to take part.
So instead he took himself off and found the biggest hill at Soldiers Beach.
And he climbed it, 28 times.
They reckon this dune is so steep that most players end up on all fours attempting to conquer it.
Yet Gutherson’s hands didn’t hit the sand.
Not once.
You want to know why Brad Arthur has made the 23-year-old the NRL’s youngest co-captain, joining veterans Tim Mannah and Beau Scott?
This is it in a nutshell.
Gutherson plays like he trains.
“With lots of energy,” Arthur said ahead of Saturdays’s clash against Cronulla, where Parramatta will be chasing a third straight win after opening the season with six straight defeats.
It’s no coincidence the Eels have turned their season around on the back of Gutherson’s return.
While a lot has been made of the fiery midweek training session leading up to the Manly game that sparked the turnaround, Arthur said that was just part of it.
“With Clint coming back, a change of discipline and attitude adjustment, a bit of confidence, they are all key parts,” Arthur said.
In his first game against Canberra in round six, Gutherson was clearly Parramatta’s best in the 18-2 defeat.
Then Gutherson was announced as co-captain for the match against Manly which the Eels won 44-10, followed by last week’s 24-22 win over Wests Tigers.
With Mannah now playing off the bench and Scott injured, Arthur needed a player who was going to be on the field for the full 80 minutes, providing the inspiration.
“Obviously, the way he plays, he makes other people around him play,” Arthur said.
“Hopefully Tim and Beau can help him and guide him through it.”
Arthur is under no illusions just how tough it is going to be for Parramatta to recover from their disastrous start and make the finals from here.
On four competition points and still last on the NRL ladder, history shows teams need at least 28 competition points to make the top eight cut.
That means the Eels will have to win at least 11 of their remaining 16 games starting today against the Sharks.
“We have put ourselves in a position where we have to be good every single week so that is what we have to do,” Arthur said.
“It is (going to be hard) but we won 14 of our last 18 last year.
“So we are going to have to make sure everyone is committed to their bit every single game, every training session.
“The boys are aware of that.
“We have put ourselves in this position.
“So we can’t afford to have a day when we don’t come to play.
“Or we only have half the team contributing.
“Unfortunately we need it every week now.”
And with Gutherson back the Eels have found the right man to lead the way on the field, as well as off it.