Parramatta recruit Isaiah Iongi has declared he is ready to wear the Eels No.1 jersey after the club granted captain Clint Gutherson permission to explore his options at rival clubs.
Iongi has signed a three-year deal after making his debut in Round 22 with the Panthers against Newcastle – his only NRL appearance.
The 21-year-old’s proclamation follows Parramatta’s decision to allow Gutherson to negotiate with rival clubs immediately after they told the incumbent fullback they could not confirm if they would be offering him an extension beyond his current deal which ends next year.
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Several clubs are reportedly interested in securing the 30-year-old’s services including the Dragons who are leading contenders to land his signature.
Regarded as one of the most reliable fullbacks in the game, Gutherson is on close to $1 million in 2025 with his next deal likely to be his last big earner.
The Eels have touted a positional switch for the former Blues representative with the club expected to hand Iongi the No.1 jersey regardless of whether Gutherson is at the club next season.
Iongi said he was ready to be Parramatta’s first choice fullback.
“Yeah, I feel like I am,” Iongi told The Sydney Morning Herald.
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“Obviously that’s the goal. You’ve got to work for it. I’ll get a good pre-season under my belt at Parra, that will help me build the confidence with them. We’ll get that team bonding on.
“There is always going to be challenges and expectations anywhere. At Panthers there was and anywhere else, too. It’s all part of the game, it’s all about how you handle it.”
Iongi was behind Blues fullback Dylan Edwards at Penrith who recently usurped Kangaroos captain James Tedesco in the Australian side.
The flyer said some positive conversations with incoming Eels coach Jason Ryles convinced him to join the club.
“I’m looking forward to working with him,” Iongi said.
“Like every other club, you have to work for the spot and put in your all to get that opportunity for yourself. That’s what he said to me.
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“[Gutherson] is another great fullback. To learn from ‘Dyl’ (Edwards) and then go to Parramatta and learn from him as well, it puts me in a good situation for my future career. I can look at what they have in the game to put it in mine.
“Man, it’s probably the best position to be in, to learn from him (Edwards) and grow as player. In my eyes, he’s the best fullback in the game. It’s great to learn off him.
“It’s a good opportunity [at Parramatta], not just for me but for my family. It will put me in a better position to live out my dream as an NRL player. I’m hoping to do that at Parramatta.”
It is speculated Gutherson may have played is last game for the Eels, with any potential new club likely to seek his immediate release should a long-term agreement be reached.
And while Parramatta is yet to confirm if they will release him from the last year of his contract, the fact they have allowed him to head to market three weeks before the transfer window opens signals it has likely crossed their mind.
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Ryles has been vocal regarding his vision to lead the club in a new direction with Gutherson’s possible early departure freeing up considerable salary cap space.
Gutherson’s manager Sam Ayoub praised the Eels for their transparency after meeting with club powerbrokers on Thursday.
“I think they have been really good through this process,” Ayoub told The Daily Telegraph.
“We had a good general chat about football, about his future, about his potential role next year. At the end of this they have come back and given us the option to look at things on the basis that we come back to them.
“I understand that Jason Ryles is a new coach and he wants to see how people are going and see the make-up of the squad for next year.
“They have shown him (Gutherson) a bit of respect (by allowing him to look early).”
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