St George Illawarra Dragons' head coach Dean Young has validated the assumption that Clinton Gutherson will not be the club's primary fullback in 2027, following Scott Drinkwater's arrival.
During an interview with SEN, Young stated that Drinkwater will take the starting position when he is fit but emphasized that Gutherson still has a role on the team.
"It's not going to be fullback if 'Drinky' is fit and playing well, but he obviously can back up Drinky," Young noted.
He added, "I'll give him an opportunity in the pre-season to train in the centres, on the wing, and even coming off the bench as a ball-playing 13."
"He's just a footy player. He's a competitor and his energy is infectious for the group," Young remarked.
"He'll be in the team somewhere, and we'll see where we land."
There are strong opinions that Gutherson may transition to the centres and, if that happens, he is likely to keep the captaincy.
Conversely, if he is left out of the starting lineup entirely, the captaincy would probably go to Dylan Egan, who recently led the team to victory against the Wests Tigers.
In other team news, Young has indicated that while rising star Hamish Stewart is set for stardom as a lock forward, he will remain in the back row for 2027.