Interim Eels coach Trent Barrett has declared Clint Gutherson will remain fullback for the rest of the season while also hitting out at “disrespectful” calls for the skipper to switch positions to allow Blaize Talagi to wear the No.1 jersey.
Talagi’s future has been one of the hottest topics at Parramatta this year, with speculation a move to fullback could get him more involved and help convince the rookie to ignore rivals and sign a new deal.
But Barrett, who has been told he won’t be an assistant at the club next year when Jason Ryles takes over, says the young gun is better suited in other roles and Gutherson will remain fullback as long as he stays fit.
“Gutho will be the fullback for the rest of the year,” Barrett said following calls Gutherson should be moved to centre or five-eighth.
“He’s a great player and a lot of people don’t see the work that Gutho does off the field with his leadership.
“There’s more to playing fullback than just what you do with the football. That position is probably one of the hardest to play in the modern game because you’ve got a hell of a lot of responsibility with the ball and you play like a second five-eighth, but defensively is where it’s at.
“There’s been a lot of talk about Blaize, but Blaize is a young player that we need to look after. He’s got a big future, but where his best position is, down the track that’s not my call.
“This year, I see him as a centre. I probably see him more as a five-eighth and a centre than a fullback.
“Gutho has been a great player for this club for a long time, so some of it I’ve found a little bit disrespectful with the commentary around him. He’s our captain and he’s the heart and soul of the joint and we love him.
“Those conversations and hearing all that stuff can’t be easy for him. He’s been here a long time and I think he deserves some respect.”
Barrett has had some tough conversations of his own after he was told by club bosses that he had been overlooked for the top job, with former Dragons teammate Jason Ryles set to take over next year.
Players made it clear they wanted Barrett to return as an assistant next year, and while that won’t happen, he says there’s still an option for him to come back in some capacity if he wants to.
“They’re not hard conversations. I’ve been in this game long enough to know how it works,” he said.
“These things happen, and I totally understand whatever way anyone wanted to go, so they’re not tough conversations at all.”
What has been hard has been trying to name a team this week with Barrett revealing he only has 21 players to choose from, including four part-timers.
Barrett said it’s the “worst I’ve seen”, with star halfback Mitch Moses ruled out for the rest of the year with a biceps injury, while he’s also had to handle the rumours that some of Parramatta’s veterans have been told they’re not wanted next year.
“It’s difficult on some of the players, and some of the commentary in and around what’s going on next year would be unsettling for a few of them, I’d imagine,” he said.
“We’ve just got to handle that. We’ve got to support our players as best as we can, as we’ve got to support our staff. We’ll continue to do that.
“The club has been really good and they’re aware of some of the issues as well, but our main focus is that we still need to win games because there are two months to go.
“The players are professional and some of them are playing for contracts. We owe it to our fans and members to play well.”