Clint Gutherson urged to make permanent move with family as Mitch Moses responds to NRL switch
Gutherson has signed a three-year deal at the Dragons worth around $2.5 million.
Clint Gutherson has been urged to relocate his young family down to Wollongong after the veteran fullback's move to St George Illawarra was confirmed on Friday. The 30-year-old was unveiled as the latest Dragons recruit, as the fullback penned a three-year deal worth a reported $2.5 million.
The news comes after the Eels told their captain that he would be shifted to a utility role in 2025 if he stayed at the club and therefore allowed him to explore his options elsewhere. In a statement released on Thursday afternoon, the Eels confirmed they had parted ways with Gutherson and said allowing him to leave was an acknowledgement of the 30-year-old's contributions to the team.
"We would have liked Clint to be part of our squad in 2025, but we respect his desire to explore new opportunities and believe it's important to support him in what he feels is best for his career," Eels coach Jason Ryles said. And in a statement confirming he had agreed to a three-year deal with the Dragons, Gutherson said he was looking forward to joining the challenge ahead of him.
"I feel really excited and honoured to be able to come here and put this jersey on and have that badge on my chest," Gutherson said. "The rich history that this club has is second to none... The direction the club went in this year and where Flano and the staff are taking the club is something I want to be a part of. I think I can offer a lot to where we're trying to go over the next few years. I'm looking forward to the challenge and what lies ahead."
Joel Caine calls for Clint Gutherson to move to Wollongong
Gutherson currently lives in the Northern Beaches with his partner Jesse and daughter Romy. But former NRL player Joel Caine believes if he really wants to show he is committed to the Red V and what they are trying to achieve, he must move his young family down to Wollongong and live there. "If he gets his knee right he is going to be a great acquisition and he is one player you don't have to worry about," Bryan Fletcher said on SEN radio.
Caine added: "But what I would want as a Dragons fan desperately is for him to move down there. We're paying you close to a million dollars, I need you living in the city. We need you there Clint, if I'm a Dragons fan we need you there, you've got to be living there Clint."
It comes amid Broncos officials reportedly holding concerns about players living on the Gold Coast rather than Brisbane. It's also been reported that former Dragons captain Ben Hunt lived in Cronulla and never connected with the Wollongong area properly, choosing to spend the majority of his time at home with his young family in Sydney.
Mat Rogers believes Clint Gutherson will do wonders
Former NRL player Mat Rogers also says Gutherson is a fantastic signing for the Dragons and believes he will help see about the culture change Shane Flanagan so desperately wants. “St George are trending in the right direction but they’ve lost two pretty key players,” Rogers said on SEN.
“I don’t want this to come across the wrong way but I’ll say it, I haven’t seen a St George player play with real passion for the jersey, not like Gutho plays, consistently play with that passion like, ‘This means something to us, we’re going to go out and take this victory’, that’s the Gutho mentality.
“I think Gutho going to St George in the position that they’re in right now, it’s a real masterstroke. I don’t really care where he plays I just think he’s going to make a huge difference to that squad.”
Mitch Moses sad to see Clint Gutherson leave
While Eels halfback Mitch Moses said he is still coming to terms with the fact he won't be playing alongside Gutherson in 2025 and said he will miss his close friend and skipper. "I'll miss him big time," Moses said on Channel 9 on Friday morning.
"He is one of my closest mates at Parramatta and he's going to be missed big time. But we've got to move on, we have a big future ahead of us. I wish him all the best."
