Clint Gutherson is officially a Dragon and brings with him over 200 games of NRL experience, a century of four-pointers, a quartet of Origin caps and a Rugby League World Cup 9s title.
Now 30 and enjoying life as a father, the Northern Beaches product comes to the club looking to write the next chapter of his career and craft a Red V legacy of his own.
“I feel really excited and honoured to be able to come here and put this jersey on and have that badge on my chest,” Gutherson said.
“I can move forward to where I want to go as a player and as a person and there's no better club for that than the Dragons… The rich history that this club has is second to none.”
Alongside the club’s storied past, Gutherson cites the squad’s youth and the opportunity to learn from head coach Shane Flanagan as the major drawcards which helped secure his signature.
“We've got a great group of young players,” he said.
“Flano’s been great. You always want to have a great relationship with the head coach and the direction that he's taking this club is what I want to be a part of. I think he's going to be great for me as a player and as a person.”
Gutherson comes to the club having spent the past several years captaining the Eels – an experience he feels will serve him well over the coming years.
“I'm just looking forward to helping the club improve,” he said.
“I was fortunate enough to be captain for a long time over there at the Eels and I learnt a lot. You can never stop learning with leadership. That's what I'm going to bring to this team and to this club is everything I've learnt. I just want to get better and better.”
I want to win. I want to win a comp, and I've stated that for years now. I just don't want to leave any stone unturned, and I want to go out there and do everything possible throughout the year.
Anyone expecting the 2020 Dally M Fullback of the Year winner to make the move south in a bid to sail off into the rugby league sunset is in for a rude shock with Gutherson adamant that his hunger and competitive fire has not waned.
“I want to win. I want to win a comp, and I've stated that for years now. I just don't want to leave any stone unturned, and I want to go out there and do everything possible throughout the year,” he said.
“I think I can offer a lot to where we're trying to go over the next few years… I want to go out there and do all the fans proud and everyone involved with the club proud and that's exactly what I'm going to do. I'm going to leave it all out there every single game.”
