NRL 2025: Former Eels skipper Clint Gutherson on the rookie set to succeed him in at Parramatta
Former Parramatta skipper Clint Gutherson has opened up about the untried NRL rookie set to replace him in the no. 1 jumper at the Eels.
Former Parramatta skipper Clint Gutherson believes new Eels coach Jason Ryles has found the club’s long-term succession plan at fullback in rookie Isaiah Iongi.
Iongi joined the Eels on a three-year deal while Gutherson was still signed to Parramatta, setting the rumour mill into overdrive about his future at the time.
Ryles could not guarantee Gutherson a contract extension, and the coach had designs for Iongi to usurp the club great from the No. 1 jumper he wore for 168 games during his time at Parramatta.
Gutherson, who was appointed co-captain of St George Illawarra, told this masthead that he harboured no ill-feeling towards the Eels or Ryles after being granted a release from the final year of his deal to join the Dragons until the end of 2027.
He also backed Iongi to not only succeed him at fullback but to own the No. 1 jumper long term despite star recruit Zac Lomax also being an option at the back.
“There are going to be a lot of people watching him and the Eels at the start of the season to see how they are going about their game,” Gutherson said.
“He’s a great young player. He showed everyone how talented he is when he debuted for Penrith last year. He’s been playing for a long time and obviously just didn’t get the opportunities at Penrith.
“But I can see him getting the job done at Parra.
“He can take the number one jumper and make it his own for a very long time.”
While Iongi, who was stuck behind Dylan Edwards at Penrith, is the frontrunner to start at fullback in Parramatta’s season opener against Melbourne on March 9, newly appointed Eels skipper Mitch Moses suggested the race to replace Gutherson is far from settled.
As well as Iongi and Lomax, Ryles has other fullback options in rookie Joash Papali’i and Bailey Simonsson, who is closing in on a return from an ACL injury in Round 1.
“There has been a fair bit of competition around that position at training,” Moses said.
“It’s exciting to see who Rylesy goes with in round one.
“But Isaiah will write his own headlines, that’s up to him. We’ve got full confidence in him that if it’s him that he’s ready to go.”
Iongi will get the chance to create those headlines this weekend when makes his Eels debut in Friday night’s trial against Newcastle, where he was named at fullback.
Gutherson will also make his club debut against the Sydney Roosters on Sunday night but Tyrell Sloan, who will make way for the new skipper at fullback in Round 1, has been ruled out with a foot injury.
Sloan has gone from Flanagan’s first choice fullback to biding his time on the wing as Gutherson’s understudy. But Gutherson revealed the coach’s plans to unleash Sloan in a roaming role in 2025.
“It doesn’t matter where you are on the field, you can roam around,” Gutherson said.
“That’s something we have worked on to make sure we get him in the game to play his style.
“He’s not just going to be out there like a big winger that takes tough carries, he’ll do it all.
“It’s going to be a massive X-factor for us to have on the field, roaming around doing what he likes.”
Flanagan is expected to name Sloan in next weekend’s Charity Shield clash against South Sydney.
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