Eels fullback Clint Gutherson has cleared the air on his immediate future at the club — and a conversation with coach Brad Arthur over Parramatta’s recruitment plans for the year.
It comes after a report from The Sydney Morning Heraldclaimed the Eels were after a “game-breaker” to join the club in its quest for a premiership, having fallen just short in 2022.
The report claimed Parramatta was chasing a potential fullback option, although the Eels denied that the potential recruit would force Gutherson into another position.
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Instead, it appears the club is after a versatile strike outside back who could take on a number of roles, including fullback — along with centre or also as a bench utility.
Even if Gutherson was to be moved from fullback, he would not drop out of the team entirely with the Parramatta skipper more likely to shift to add a ball-playing option at centre.
Instead it could be Waqa Blake who may find his spot in Parramatta’s first-choice side under threat, with the 28-year-old already off-contract at the end of the season.
Gutherson said on Tuesday he would be “open” to moving to the centres if it was in the team’s best interest, but also added that the story had “blown out of proportion” by media.
“It was just me and Brad,” Gutherson told Sky Sports Radio’s ‘Big Sports Breakfast’.
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“We just had a conversation. We’ve got three spots top fill in our top 30 and we were just sort of going back and forth with what we need and where we sort of want to go in the next few seasons as well and I just said, ‘Let’s just look at everyone’.
“I’m just there to win games. I’ve always said I want to win and love playing footy and want to win games.
“Obviously this came out in the last 24 hours. I think it’s been blown out of proportion, to be honest. I said to Brad I’d be happy to do anything to win games of footy, as would anyone else in the team.
“It’s probably been blown out of the water a little bit too much but it’s just one of those things that once the media and player managers gets a hold of it, it takes off and I think that’s what it’s doing now.”
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Gutherson said Parramatta won’t be rushed into making a decision and that irrespective of whoever the club may recruit, it won’t have any impact on his own form.
“That was all the conversation me and Brad had, I hadn’t spoken to anyone else to the club and now it’s turned into this,” Gutherson added.
“I’m sort of used to be thrown out there and being used as bait like that but it doesn’t bother me, I woke up with a smile on my face and am going to work soon.
“I’d be open to it [moving to the centres] but Brad said to me they’re not just going to do it to do it. It’s one of those things, they’re going to make sure if it does happen it’s going to be the right player but from all I’ve heard there’s been no talks with anyone else yet.
“So, I’m just going about my business and I think I’m only getting into the best part of my career now so it’s going to be hard to replace me and I’m going to keep that spot as long as I can.”
Both Cooper Cronk and former teammate Billy Slater were critical of the potential recruitment play if involved shifting Gutherson from fullback.
Cronk in particular pointed towards Gutherson’s defence and effort areas at the back as crucial to Parramatta’s success and questioned whether another strike option is what the team needs.
“X-factor might score you a try or two, but Clint Gutherson will save you three or four,” Cronk said on ‘NRL 360’ on Monday night.
“Like that’s just… he’s one of the best defensive fullbacks in the game, I think his workrate is through the roof and you have X-factor with Brown and Moses in your halves combination.
“I find this really strange, considering it is Gutherson who is elite, he’s your captain and having an honest conversation about bringing X-factor, I find it crazy.”
