It is anticipated that new Eels coach Jason Ryles will reorganize the team by removing fullback Clint Gutherson from captaincy and assigning him to a different role. In an attempt to keep the 19-year-old at the struggling team, Ryles is going to give emerging star Blaize Talagi the No. 1 shirt. After Brad Arthur was fired in May, Talagi put contract negotiations on hold because of the unpredictability surrounding a new coach. The young player has also expressed a desire to play fullback.
The young player has made a name for himself as a center and is being coveted by the Knights, Dolphins, and Dragons. However, Ryles has other motivations for starting Talagi at fullback besides just wanting to hang onto him. Gutherson, who turns 30 in September, would have less work to do and his ailing knees, which require fluid to be drained merely to play, might benefit from a move to the centers.
According to former Origin and Kangaroos enforcer Aaron Woods, “you have to (move Gutherson) in my opinion,” he said on The Bye Round podcast. “Talagi would be placed there by me. It is imperative to have Talagi as he is an absolute game-changer. It has been reported previously that Gutho (Gutherson) is prepared to go to the center in order to bring the x-factor out the back. “I understand that Gutho is very spirited and encourages the boys, but a top four or top eight team needs a game-changer. Talagi possesses strength, quickness, fast play with the balls, and finesse.
Legend of the Super League and NRL James Graham, on the other hand, is adamant that Gutherson should stay at fullback despite the rise of Talagi, who made his Eels debut in Round 3, 2024. Despite all the criticism directed on Clint Gutherson for his lack of skill at fullback, Graham pointed out that Gutherson is a player for one of the lowest-ranked teams. “Mitch Moses has been absent for the majority of the year; he has had a heavy workload, and notice where he is ranked—seventh out of 17 NRL fullbacks. Does the x-factor really come in handy?