Dyldam Parramatta Eels winger Clint Gutherson says it will be a tough decision for the club if players are to leave mid-way through the 2016 season to ease salary cap pressure.
However it is a decision and situation he knows all too well.
After leaving Manly in 2015 to join the Eels, Gutherson said breaking up the Blue and Gold squad at this point of the year would be tough.
“It will be tough [to break the squad up] after a big pre-season and our start to the year, but I guess you have to do what you have to do to get under.” Gutherson said.
“It has happened to me before at Manly so I know what some of the boys will be going through, but you come out of the other side and you just have to do what’s best for you and your family.”
“It has nothing to do with me and everything to do with the club and which direction they want to go in. I have no control on that,” Gutherson added.
And when the news broke last week, being away from his Blue and Gold teammates last week due to City commitments was challenging, but the Eels winger was glad to be re-united with his squad this week.
“It was a bit tough [being in City camp and away from the team]. We were in camp when they broke it to us, we attended the meeting before having to go straight back, so we weren’t around the boys and it was a big tough.”
“But we [Nathan Peats and I] were roomies in camp and we had a chat about it but we are moving on now, back with the Parramatta boys and happy to be back.”
Hear Nathan Peats address the media this week
With media reports on Tuesday tipping Blue and Gold hooker Nathan Peats as the latest in a series of players to potentially leave the club to ease salary cap pressure, Gutherson said that if the reports were true, it would be disappointing to see his teammate leave.
“I personally have no clue what is happening there [Nathan Peats]. I have only read what I have read on social media so I have no idea, but I will let the club and him sort that out and whatever happens, happens,” Gutherson said.
“It will be a bit disappointing, but he’s not going to leave if its going to harm him and his family so he will have to see what happens and just go from there.” He added.
“Most of us were contracted here for this year and next year so it will be a bit disappointing to see some people go but if it’s got to happen it has to happen.”
Yet with all the off-field media attention and uncertainty, Gutherson says the side is purely focused on preparing for their Round 10 clash against the Rabbitohs, just like any other game.
“We are preparing for a big game, and will come out like it’s any other game. We are raring to go” Gutherson said.
“We had a good training session this morning, with no real chat about it, and we don’t really know what’s happening.”
“We are focusing on Friday on what we can do individually and as a team,” he added.
“We are going to treat it as any other game. We are going to get out there and do what we have to do to get the two points.”
The Eels kick off against the South Sydney Rabbitohs on Friday 13 May at Pirtek Stadium. Kick off at 7:50pm.
