Parramatta Eels fullback and captain Clint Gutherson is off-contract at the end of season 2022 and will be free to negotiate with rival clubs from November 1st this year.

It seems crazy to think of Gutherson donning any jersey other than the blue and gold of Parramatta; however, the 26-year-old’s long-term future at the club is by far not a sure thing.

Next season the Eels have over $4,000,000 worth of talent coming off-contract including Gutherson, with most of those players likely looking for a pay rise, making it near impossible for Parramatta to hold onto them all.

While you may be thinking Gutherson will remain loyal as he took less money than desired to stay on at the club under his current deal, that is the exact reason as to why he won’t remain loyal if reports from the Australian’s Brent Read are to be believed.

“In the end he took a little less to stay. I don’t think his management are in the mood to take less again,” said Read on NRL 360.

 
“I think they will squeeze them for every cent they can get. I think $750,000 is conservative in their view about what they think he is worth.”

When looking at Gutherson’s future and as to where he would end up if he were to leave the Eels, possible destinations for the New South Wales Origin representative will be few and far between due to most NRL clubs already having an established fullback on their roster until the end of 2022 at the very least.

The only club that could use Gutherson’s services are the Brisbane Broncos, but that all depends on where they choose to bolster their ranks.

Another option would be to sign with the Brisbane expansion club set to join the NRL in 2023; however, reports suggest the expansion will be pushed back until 2024 due to the current lockdown crisis across much of Eastern Australia.

At the end of the day, there is a good chance that the Eels will reach deep in the wallet to keep their marquee player, but that then raises the question of how much talent they will be forced to lose as a result of keeping Clint Gutherson.