Saint Gutho: Eels skipper leaves to take up Dragons deal

The Parramatta Eels have agreed to release Clint Gutherson early, with the now-former club captain expected to take up a three-year deal with the St George Illawarra Dragons by the end of the week.

The Dragons are expected to pay “King Gutho” around $850,000 next year before his pay packet drops slightly through 2026 and 2027.

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Gutherson was originally expected to see out the last year of his Eels contract under new coach Jason Ryles – playing utility mainly – but the Parramatta board on Wednesday agreed to allow the club’s skipper to leave early. Gutho, 30, had asked Ryles and the club to let him leave so he could take up this three-year deal with St George Illawarra.

Shane Flanagan, head of football Ben Haran, and Gutherson’s agent Sam Ayoub had met on Wednesday.

The Dragons bosses acted quickly after letting Ben Hunt leave for free the same day.

Gutherson is now set to play fullback for the Red V, which will likely shift incumbent number one Tyrell Sloan out to the wing – though long-sidedlined Cody Ramsey returning to preseason training could throw a spanner in those works.

Ramsey and Sloan would then be in a shoot out if Ramsey’s ready by January, though the club is understandably taking things slowly with the 24-year-old as he returns from an ulcerative colitis illness.

Everything now hinges on a medical Gutherson will undergo later this week. Should the 30-year-old pass, alongside retaining his fullback role he may also become captain.

“I think he’d bring leadership. He’s been the captain of a big, powerful club like the Dragons are,” Flanagan previously said of Gutherson to News Corp.

“He’s still a quality player. He played last year, at the back end of the year with broken ribs and knee injury.

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“I think he’d be great for Tyrell Sloan. For Tyrell to see the way that he trains and prepares and plays, it would be great for him as well. Tyrell could play on the wing.”