Newly-appointed St George Illawarra co-captain Clint Gutherson has labelled young gun Tyrell Sloan a “generational talent” while revealing Shane Flanagan will find a place for him in the Dragons’ starting 17.
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Gutherson’s arrival from the Eels cast doubt on the 22-year-old’s place in first grade, having started 23 of 24 games at fullback in 2024.
Sloan was handed a fresh two-year contract in June, but when the former Parramatta skipper hit the open market, Flanagan was quick to pounce and secure his services with immediate effect.
So with Gutherson wearing the No.1 jersey, will Sloan still feature in first grade in 2025?
“Definitely, we will find a spot,” Gutherson said to foxsports.com.au.
“He’s a footballer, so we will find a spot for him and just let him play.”
Sloan has played on the wing and off the bench four times in his 59 game NRL career, but for now it remains unclear exactly where the young gun fits into Flanagan’s team.
However, Gutherson hinted Sloan, who is equipped with sheer pace and athleticism, could be deployed as an X-factor injection off the bench if he doesn’t start on a flank.
“I don’t know yet, we will have to find a spot and just let him play. Sometimes you need those players out there to break the game open,” Gutherson said.
“He’s the perfect example of that.”
Sloan’s time in the NRL has been far from smooth sailing, having been in and out of the Dragons outfit since his debut in 2021 under Anthony Griffin.
After being axed on multiple occasions by Griffin, he was dropped by Flanagan in favour of Max Feagai for a crucial clash against the Panthers in 2024, with his defence proving to be the crucial tipping point for the young gun.
Flanagan said at the time: “He will be back. He is a quality player. There are two sides to the ball and he has to work hard on that (defence)”.
It only took one week for Sloan to return after Feagai copped a head knock, and he took his opportunity with both hands, helping the Dragons to their first win over the Storm in Melbourne since 1999.
Gutherson, who signed a three-year deal, explained he’s going to mentor Sloan, hoping to nurture his talents and make him a consistent and dangerous No.1.
The four-time Origin representative also gave a glowing account of Sloan’s ability when asked how impressed he has been during the club’s 2025 pre-season campaign.
“He’s probably a generational talent in some words, he’s played at the highest level for a number of years now,” Gutherson said to foxsports.com.au.
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“We’ve seen what he can do on the field, he can do things probably 99 per cent of people can’t. We know how good he is.
“It’s probably just about being consistent and sort of playing the footy he can week to week and not having down days.
“He’s had a little bit of a disrupted pre-season, so that’s been a little bit annoying for him, but he’s just a footballer, he can play anywhere on the field at any time and be ready to go.
“But I’m really looking forward to building that combination with him and seeing where that can take us.”
Gutherson was named co-captain alongside fellow recruit Damien Cook, and the gun fullback said he was excited to forge a leadership combination with the experienced hooker.
“It’s exciting, I didn’t go down there thinking I would get it (the captaincy),” Gutherson said.
“You just want to go and do your part for the team and push what the coaches are trying to push.
“When we got told we were pretty excited to work together and leave a legacy on what we want to do in the next few years, and especially it starts this year.
“We both lead in different ways, and we are both different people and have our own sense of leadership, and I think that’s what you need.
“You have a big group of 40 people there, it’s pretty hard to keep on top of all by ourselves.”
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