One of the first things Clint Gutherson did after signing with the Dragons was call Tyrell Sloan to clear the air with the young fullback.
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That initiative basically sums up why he was appointed co-captain before playing a single game for St George Illawarra.
Gutherson, along with Damien Cook, hope to lead the Red V to brighter days this season.
They made their unofficial club debut in last week’s trial win over the Roosters and on Saturday will lead their new team in the Chairty Shield – a clash former Rabbitoh Cook knows well.
The Dragons have picked up one of the fiercest competitors in the game in Gutherson – someone that prides themselves on winning everything. Even fitness drills, which was made clear when he made a statement on his first day of pre-season.
They’ve also picked up an experienced leader who captained the Eels for seven seasons, leading them to a Grand Final appearance in 2022.
And while Gutherson’s Eels exit was swift – and some would say brutal – there’s a silver lining to the 30-year-old parting ways with the club he called home for a decade.
There’s something new about Gutherson that’s quite obvious. It’s a pep in his step that, in hindsight, has probably been missing for the last couple of years.
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He credited his new colours for that – even thought it was a little “weird” pulling on his new jersey for the first time.
“It’s a freshness that I haven’t had in a long time so I’m really looking forward to the year ahead and the next few years,” Gutherson told foxsports.com.au.
“The nerves on day one was something I haven’t had in a long time, so just feeling that again, and as I said, just (feeling) refreshed. It’s refreshed me as a person (and) as a player.
“You sort of don’t know what to expect (when joining a new club). You’re there for a reason, and people always hear about ‘what he can do, what he can’t do’ and you always want to set the tone.
“That night before (day one), I didn’t really sleep too well and I was by myself at the time – my partner and kids were up in Sydney – so I didn’t have anyone to talk to.”
Gutherson’s family have since relocated down south to be by his side as he dives head-first into this new chapter.
It’s a chapter that not many could’ve predicted this time last year – Gutherson certainly didn’t.
“It’s been a bit crazy (but) that’s rugby league – (that) probably sums it up in 12 months,” he said.
“We started the season so well last year, then we lose a couple of key players and we lose a coach, everything sort of goes downhill.
“But even after the year, I never thought I’d be sitting here in a Dragon’s Jersey (but) that’s the way it goes.
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“I’ve got no hard feelings towards anyone at Parramatta, or any of the players and staff. It’s the way it goes.
“Everyone wants the best for their team and I was no different. I just want to test myself out there. They didn’t see a place for me after 2026 and I’m just so happy that I landed here with the Dragons.
“It’s really become a home pretty quickly and I’m just really excited for what the future holds for me and the club.”
When asked if it felt bitter-sweet saying goodbye to the Eels, Gutherson admitted he hasn’t allowed himself enough time to think too deeply about it. But did joke that his ex-teammates “were probably throwing my stuff over the balcony by the time it was all over.”
“It’s probably something (to think about) when you finish your career – you sort of look back on those years and how it came to an end,” he said.
“But look, 10 years a long time. I called it home for a long, long time. Some of the people in that club and a lot of those players will be my friends for life, and you sort of know what you’re leaving behind.
“This is something totally different. I remember day one (at Dragons), weights were different, the field was different, how we went about our day was really different. It’s really refreshed me as a person.
“At the moment, I’m just focused on the Dragons. It happened pretty quickly (too), so (I) didn’t really have time to sit down and (think) ‘oh, what should I do? What shouldn’t I do’.
“It’s just what was best for me and what was best for Parramatta as well.”
Gutherson has very much turned the page and is all-in on the Red V.
He wasted no time in making his presence known too with his first-place finish in a grueling road run in November making headlines.
That was no fluke. It wasn’t just Gutherson’s fitness being a step above his new teammates – it was his plan all along to make a statement like that.
“You have to go in every day – especially in a new team – and earn the respect of the players and the staff. If you can do it on day one, it’s a great time to put that best foot forward, and I was no different,” he said.
“It’s something that I’ve really prided myself on my whole (NRL) journey. I’m not the most skillful or anything like that, but I’ve got determination to win.
“If you can set that tone early, and sort of do lead or be up the front there, you can challenge other people who are maybe sort of holding back a little bit to push themselves a little bit harder.
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“Day one was about that for me and I think that’s why I was so nervous. You never know what other players are sort of capable of.
“But I went there, I said to Shane (Flanagan), ‘I’ll do my best to win this’ and got up the hill and sort of set the tone there. It’s always a priority of mine to lead from the front… and hopefully someone catches me.”
If Flanagan needed any convincing on who he should appoint captain following Ben Hunt’s exit, that initiative – once again – would’ve done the job.
Two months later, the club announced Gutherson and Cook as co-captains with Flanagan saying the impact the pair have had on the group since “day one” was a big reason behind the decision.
“I didn’t come down here thinking too much about it, to be honest,” Gutherson said about the captaincy.
“I never thought I would have had the Parramatta (captaincy), now I’ve got two, so it’s pretty special for me, my family and everyone close to me.
“I’ve always said about captaincy, it doesn’t change me. I’m just me, I’ve always been me.
“I do it differently, I go about things differently and having it, it’s a great honour.
“This club is a very proud club, we’ve got some great history and we just want to try and create our own little sort of little piece of it. If me and ‘Cooky’ can do that over the next couple of years, we’ve done our job.”
Although Gutherson wasn’t thinking about captaincy in his early days as a Dragon, his natural leader instincts kicked in once he signed on as the club’s new No.1.
It’s a jersey that had more or less belonged to Sloan for the previous two years – and that hasn’t been lost on Gutherson.
After all, he knows exactly what it feels like to have your spot in a team under threat. Rumours about Gutherson’s future at the Eels did the rounds for 18 months before he eventually left.
“He’s a great young man,” Gutherson said of Sloan.
“I gave him a call the day I signed to just to make sure that everything was all right.
“It’s obviously a bit confronting if someone in a similar position signs at your club. He handled it really well. He’s a great young kid, he’s only 24 still.
“He’s got a long future ahead I think I can do things that he still needs to learn. Fullback is a tough position in the NRL and I think I can teach him a few things, probably more so defensively on the football field than attack – he’s a much better attacker than me.
“Whatever he can do, I can’t do so to have us both on the field at the same time, I think it’s going to be a benefit for our team and for what we want to do.
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“But he’s handled it really well and I’ve tried to bring him close and get to know him a little bit better along the way as well.
“I think that’s going to grow as we play footy as well. So if both of us can be on the field healthy at the same time, I think it’ll benefit both of us and the team as well.
“He came onto the scene at a young age and he’s had a lot of pressure on him from then – they’ve expected him to change the tide a lot of the times.
“For a young kid coming through, he’s only played a couple of seasons, it’s very hard and it does take it’s toll sometimes.
“For me to be able to take a bit of pressure off him, and especially with ‘Cooky’ and Lachie (Ilias) coming, they can really help him there as well.
“But we just want to play footy, and him playing footy, it’s great for the team and great for the game.”
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