Gutherson’s defiant stance creates $800k Dragons headache

Dragons co-captain Clint Gutherson is adamant he will play on next season.

The only issue is, there might not even be a spot for him.

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Gutherson is one of the game’s toughest competitors and has given his all for St George Illawarra since joining the club in 2024.

Even this season, the veteran fullback has put in an enormous effort, often turning up to play through injury, despite the Dragons’ on-field struggles.

But the speed of the modern game and Gutherson’s ageing body has made it difficult for him to produce the same quality he did earlier in his career.

It’s not a slight on the 31-year-old either and he’s been far from the Dragons’ biggest concern this year, with plenty of his teammates underperforming.

Despite his best football being behind him and injuries catching up to him, Gutherson is positive about going around again next season and finishing his Dragons contract.

“There have always been questions,” he told media on Wednesday.

“It’s not just now, it’s been happening for years. Every time I was off-contract at Parra, someone would release something about my knees.

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“It’s nothing new to me. When that time comes, I’m sure someone close to me will tell me, but I’ve got a lot of kilometres left.”

Gutherson’s confidence and passion is admirable, but with a stack of high-profile recruits coming to Wollongong next year, it’s difficult to see where he fits.

Cowboys speedster Scott Drinkwater has been signed to become the club’s long-term fullback, while Warriors star Luke Metcalf will assume the playmaking duties alongside either Daniel Atkinson, Lyhkan King-Togia or Kade Reed.

That takes Gutherson out of the spine and there are limited other roles he could potentially fill for the Dragons next season.

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There has been talk of Gutherson shifting to centre, but that seems like a bridge too far given his age, speed and the players he would inevitably be marking.

He was torn to shreds in the game he played at centre earlier this year for the Dragons and it would be difficult to see Gutherson marking up against the likes of Herbie Farnworth, Tolu Koula or Latrell Mitchell.

Another possible option for “King Gutho” is to play a bench utility role - however, that’s seemingly what Connor Watson has been brought to the club for.

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Watson could start at lock and move to hooker with Gutherson donning the No.14 jersey and coming off the bench, but that would mean that one of the Saints’ young forwards such as Ryan Couchman or Hamish Stewart would be shafted to the bench after being among the clear shining lights in a dour campaign.

Stewart, Loko Pasifiki Tonga, Dylan Egan, Couchman and his twin brother Toby have built the nucleus of an incredibly strong forward pack that is due to add Kangaroos prop Keaon Koloamatangi for 2027 and beyond, so toying with that as a way to find Gutherson a spot in the team wouldn’t be the wisest call.

It’s a looming headache for Dean Young, Ben Hornby or whoever ends up as the Dragons head coach next year, but there’s a long way to go before a ball is kicked and these things always tend to work themselves out, one way or another.

But with the skipper standing to earn an estimated $800,000 next season with the joint venture, who could really blame him for knocking back retirement.

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Dragons predicted 2027 team

1. Scott Drinkwater 2. Phillip Sami 3. Valentine Holmes 4. Hayden Buchanan 5. David Fale 6. Daniel Atkinson 7. Luke Metcalf 8. Keaon Koloamatangi 9. Jacob Liddle 10. Toby Couchman 11. Dylan Egan 12. Hamish Stewart 13. Ryan Couchman 14. Connor Watson 15. Loko Pasifiki Tonga 16. Jacob Halangahu 17. Josh Kerr 18. Clint Gutherson 19. Nick Tsougranis

Dragons 2027 full NRL squad

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Clint Gutherson, Connor Watson, Daniel Atkinson, David Fale, Dylan Egan, Hamish Stewart, Hayden Buchanan, Jacob Halangahu, Jacob Liddle, Josh Kerr, Keaon Koloamatangi, Kyle Flanagan, Loko Pasifiki Tonga, Luke Metcalf, Lyhkan King-Togia, Moses Suli*, Nick Tsougranis, Phillip Sami, Ryan Couchman, Scott Drinkwater, Toby Couchman, Valentine Holmes

*Moses Suli is signed for 2027 but has been granted permission to leave

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