Moving Chairs: Gutherson, Ilias & Hunt

It’s the time of year when rugby league takes a bit of a break from the media landscape.

The players are on the field and in the gym, running hills and getting their hands on the ball whenever they can. We’re only weeks away from hearing who has lost a lot of weight, who has put on the muscle, and which players have trained the house down to be feeling the best they’ve ever felt.

Moving Chairs In November

We’re not often blessed with a lot of big-name player movement at this time of the year, but the Dragons have triggered a spree of moving chairs ahead of the 2025 NRL season.

Clint Gutherson has officially joined the St. George-Illawarra Dragons on a three-year deal. Questions around the length of the deal, given his work rate and the wear and tear that come with it, are fair, but he is a quality add for 2025 at the very least.

Coach Shane Flanagan’s main area of concern since arriving at the club appears to be with culture and building one on hard work. Gutherson is perfect.

On the field might be a little more uncertain.

The Dragons finished 12th in scoring last season at 21.2 points per game. With Gutherson expected to replace Tyrell Sloan at the back and Ben Hunt now gone, the Red V will need to make changes to how they attack. A lot of their most dangerous moments came through Sloan’s speed - something Gutherson can’t match. His ability to burst into space out the back of shape on the edges is among the best in the NRL. Meanwhile, Hunt led the NRL with 30 try assists last season. His creativity can’t be replaced by one player on the roster.

So, how does Gutherson fit in and feature? He averaged 41 touches per game for the Eels at fullback, which surprised me alongside Mitchell Moses and Dylan Brown. Although, both missing extended periods will have been a contributor to those numbers. I’d expect fewer touches per game with the Dragons and a more pick-his-moments approach on the edges. Play both sides and see the action ahead of time, relying on his smarts and work rate to get across the field to create the number and throw the final pass.

We’re going to be listening for clues throughout the summer on how the Dragons intend to use Gutherson. A lot of his influence on the Dragons will depend on his halfback…

Lachlan Ilias has signed on with the Dragons for two years in the wake of Hunt’s departure.

He’s a polarising player at this point of his NRL career, and not a lot of it is his fault. Ilias entered the league in 2022 as the replacement for Adam Reynolds at the South Sydney Rabbitohs—the saviour. The hype grew out of control, and the expectations set far too high for a 21-year-old halfback who had played only two reserve grade games and been forced to leap the hurdles of being a young player during the pandemic.

Admittedly, Ilias hasn’t kicked on how he or the Rabbitohs would have hoped since he started playing regular first-grade football. He too often moved in and out of games and left a lot to be desired in his kicking game - his primary role alongside Cody Walker in the halves. Still, there are a lot of positives for the Dragons to be hopeful.

Ilias looks good when he has time. He dominated for two tries and two try assists in three games at NSW Cup level last year. The slightly slower pace of reserve grade allowed him to pick his spots in the line, and he guided Souths to 24.6 points per game.

His deception is a work in progress but evident at times. We’re going back to Round 1 in 2023 here, but his shape to kick is where this Campbell Graham try is created.

It’s part of halfback play that comes with age and experience, areas he hasn’t had a lot of luck.

Halfbacks that turn a corner in their career often talk about having more time or the game slowing down. It’s why the position peaks for players in their later 20s as opposed to other positions that can be dominated at a younger age. At 24 years old, with only 53 NRL games to his name and a development process slowed by covid restrictions, we shouldn’t be surprised that Ilias has been slow to take the next step in his career. He now has a long-term injury and two games in 12 months to deal with ahead of 2025, but I’m confident that Ilias will exceed what are now basement low expectations for him moving forward.

Finally, Ben Hunt has found a new home as the last moving chair.

A State of Origin and Kangaroos halfback/hooker is joining a Brisbane Broncos team already stacked with talent. Brisbane’s problems have been health and playmaking experience in recent years. Hunt solves both following his NRL-high 30 try assists in 2024 and his career of availability and durability.

Hunt can take control of the team if Adam Reynolds isn’t available, act as a wider pivot while Ezra Mam navigates his off-field issues, and, should both be out there, slot into hooker where he has excelled at representative level.

There isn’t much to analyse here. It’s a home run for the Broncos, who look set to have one bad year before propelling themselves back into premiership contention.

NRL Podcast Schedule

There isn’t a lot going around on the NRL podcast circuit right now, but I have a few evergreen episodes that are worth adding to your queue over the summer.

“The Masterclass” with Shaun Johnson on the Play Fearless Podcast is a must-listen. He recorded it shortly after his last game in the NRL - you know, the one he threw the game-winner with his final pass to finish his career.

Straight Talk with Mark Bouris is always worth checking in on with some of the guests he has coming through. Nathan and Ivan Cleary reflected on their four-peat in an episode that is worth listening to regardless of the club you support.

NRL Draw content is often a waste but the Boom Rookies boys covered it off well.

Any suggestions? Let me know what I need to add to the queue.

Miss anything on the last day of the rugby league season?

I covered all four games of the Pacific Championships final day here:

Content Corner

NRL content is inconsistent at the best of times, so I’ll add any of the good stuff I find here.