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lucablight

First Grade
Messages
6,472

JokerEel

Coach
Messages
13,177

Gronk

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
77,180
Might as well bring back Cayless or Fui.
I guess it depends on how his body is. His contract over there is for 2025 only, so assume we would only get him for the one year, then he would retire.

Maybe playing reggies / a few games of NRL is an option to him vs Yorkshire ?
 

Eelementary

Post Whore
Messages
57,077

There is not a single bit of ill feeling in my body’: Gutherson breaks silence on Eels exit​

Clint Gutherson has only been a Dragon for a couple of days, but already the messages from his former Parramatta teammates have started.
“A couple of boys have already texted me and said, ’I can’t wait to scream down from the kick return and get into you,” Gutherson said with a chuckle.
After 206 games for the Eels – where he has been the fullback, captain and heartbeat of the club – Gutherson is embracing a change he believes “had to happen.”

Speaking for the first time about shift to St George Illawarra, “The King” opened up about the prospect of captaining the Red V, a potential shift into the halves and why he bears no ill will over his departure from Parramatta.

“It’s just the way the club wanted to go with their direction,” Gutherson said. “There’s no hard feelings; it’s the way rugby league and the business world works. I went there and said, ‘What are your plans?’ and that’s how it all happened.
“One thing led to another, and we’re here.”
The Eels informed Gutherson they planned to move Penrith rookie Isaiah Iongi into the No.1 jersey that he had made his own, and weren’t prepared to provide an extension anywhere near as long as the three-year contract tabled by the Red V.
“Honestly, it doesn’t bother me,” he said. “It’s one of those things, it had to happen. You’d love to stay there and help the team out, but they wanted to go in a different direction and had different plans.
“You have got to respect that. I’m going to give Rylesy [Eels coach Jason Ryles] a call in the next couple of days and wish him the best – there are no hard feelings.
“I’ve got nothing ill towards anyone at the club and never will. I’ll be forever grateful for what they have given me. They just wanted to move into a new direction, and I wasn’t going to be a part of that. It’s just one of those things you have to deal with. There is not a single bit of ill feeling in my body towards anyone at that club.
“I can’t wait to play them and get into a couple of mates.”
There is not a more wholehearted performer in the NRL. When long-time coach Brad Arthur was sacked by Parramatta, he provided a statement to the media. This line resonated: “I don’t want to single out any players, but it would be unfair to not thank Clint Gutherson for the years of torture he put his body through for me.”
Gutherson intends to bring that same passion and effort to his next challenge.

“No matter where I’m playing, I’m going to be doing that,” he said.
“I had a job to do at Parramatta, I felt I did that and did everything I could to get that team and club better. I left no stone unturned, and I’m super proud of what I did there, the way I left the club.
“I respected what they built as a club as well and helped them get better. It’s just one of those things. I wanted to leave the place better, and I felt I did that.
“BA [Arthur] was a massive part of that, and I would have done anything for him and any coach I play for. I’ll do the same now – that’s not going to change until I stop playing.”
Where he plays remains uncertain. Dragons coach Shane Flanagan would have no hesitation playing Gutherson at fullback, despite also having talented custodian Tyrell Sloan on the books.

However, the departure of Ben Hunt has left a halves and captaincy void that Gutherson would be prepared to fill, if it’s what is best for the team.
“I think I’m the utility off the bench,” he quipped.
“To be honest, I’m not sure yet, we’ll have to wait and see. We didn’t talk about where we are going to be, it was more about the type of people we want at the club. It was more about the direction with the people and the culture and where he wants it to go.”
Asked whether he had considered playing in the halves alongside Kyle Flanagan, the 30-year-old said: “Honestly, I haven’t, but it does appeal.

“I played there earlier in my career; it’s another position exactly like fullback these days. The game is that quick, you’re just playing and a lot of teams have multiple fullbacks and halves in their team who just go out and play.
“With the game today, you’ve just got to get on the front foot and roll and all of those positions are pretty similar.
“You might need to make a few more tackles [in the halves]. I haven’t really thought about it yet. I’ll start training next week, see where the staff and Flanno want to take it.”
Flanagan is expected to choose between Gutherson and fellow recruit Damien Cook for his new skipper.

“Obviously being captain for so long, you think you are pretty good at it and do a job,” he said.
“But we haven’t spoken about it at all, it’s up to the staff. There are a lot of players who have been there for a long time and have deserved to be in that leadership discussion.
“I haven’t paid it any thought at the moment, I haven’t even started training.”
In an indication of how keen he is to buy into what Flanagan is building at the Dragons, Gutherson will relocate to Wollongong.

“I’m going to move the family down, enjoy a change of scenery,” he said. “I’m in Manly now and I’ll still be on the water down there, which is nice.
“The family are excited to head down and have a change and see what is outside the Manly bubble.
“This will give me a chance to really buy into what they’re doing and be close to training and all the boys. I really want to build on what they started last year and see what they can do.”
View attachment 96440
View attachment 96441

Class act, as always.

Thank you for everything, King.

All the best at St George.
 

lucablight

First Grade
Messages
6,472
We’re already going to have 3 forwards in Paulo, Matterson and Cartwright over the age of 30 next season with Lane and Ofahengaue not too far behind. Vaughn would be a huge step backwards after our clean out. We need youth in the side. It’s a young man’s game now unless you’re a half.
 

Gronk

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
77,180
Paul Vaughan seriously that has to be a piss take.

Not only has he not been any good for like 6 years his track record when it comes to discipline is horrendous.

And he is 33 years old.
Have you been tracking his ESL form or are you just having a rant ?

I don’t know his game at all, but this must be coming from Sam Moa, right ? Moa has come straight from Super League.
 

Lemon Squash

First Grade
Messages
8,204
I always liked Vaughan as a player thought he was pretty underrated tbh but I legit thought he played one season in SL and retired like 2 seasons ago.

I don’t really think we need middles but if he’s on minimum and they think he can plug a hole then meh.
 

Gronk

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
77,180
I always liked Vaughan as a player thought he was pretty underrated tbh but I legit thought he played one season in SL and retired like 2 seasons ago.

I don’t really think we need middles but if he’s on minimum and they think he can plug a hole then meh.
If true it’s probably to leap frog Emu, who just doesn’t fit that mobile middle. Isn’t Vaughan more like Joffa ?
 

lingard

Coach
Messages
11,397
Yeah but 2 of those are spine players, we need quality in other positions too ....

Spine players handle the ball the most, so it's a waste have highly paid players in each spot....

with our halves, we are better off with a "cheapie" bit above average hooker and spending decent money on a second rower player....
I agree. And, you know, with all this talk about needing a hooker and who should we target, there is an elephant in the room. Brendan Hands. He seems to be the forgotten man. I would be happy if he was our main hooker -at least for 2025. I reckon he has improved over the last two years, and I see more improvement in him. I would be interested to see goes under a new coaching system. I'm not sure we actually need a better hooker for next year.
 

Glenneel

Bench
Messages
3,724
I thought 2000-2003 was better then 2004-2010.

Anyway what we have now should stay forever I don't care what marketing plan or strategy they think could come up with in the future.

Just leave it.

View attachment 96424
The 46-74 logo probably reflected the sorry state of the Parramatta River with industrial pollution. You can see the pollution running down the bank but the palm trees in the background are a bit of a stretch.
 

Glenneel

Bench
Messages
3,724
If the Knights chip in a substantial amount then our risk is mitigated. My point was why would he move for a substantial paycut while he still has a 650k contract for 2025. The Knights are now pretending they want to keep him via the media. Let's see who is the smarter club. They have Peter Osullivan now so I'm guessing it's them.
Still think Mozer is the player we should chase. Donkeys need a half to cover Mam (probably suspended at least 6 months) and Reynolds (injury prone) and after Hunt and have no money in cap. Will be cheap(ish), probably around $400k, and we could maybe get an early release of him for this year.
 
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