7th Tackle: How Gutherson's NRL career almost missed the mark
We’re only just starting to understand the extraordinary talents of Eels fullback Clint Gutherson.
But there were others from outside rugby league with their eye on him from the very beginning.
Gutherson was a late convert to league, playing union for most of his junior years.
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But in 2012 he had the chance to try a third code – Aussie rules.
Gutherson played a limited amount of aerial ping pong with his school team, and word filtered through to scouts at the upstart AFL club Greater Western Sydney Giants. They offered him the chance to join their junior academy.
But by that stage the Sea Eagles junior was too besotted with league, also knocking back the chance to represent the Australian Sevens rugby team at last year’s Olympic Games in Rio.
The Raiders then made a big play in 2015, offering him $100,000-a-season more to leave the Northern Beaches. Canberra assistant coach Dean Pay was a big admirer, having coached him in junior NSWRL representative teams.
But Gutherson stayed loyal to remain closer to his family – only for Manly to release him less than 12 months later.
It remains one of the most bizarre recruitment decisions we’ve witnessed, not that anyone at Parramatta is complaining.