The St George Illawarra Dragons are gearing up for a major positional reshuffle in their 2027 National Rugby League (NRL) campaign, head coach Dean Young has confirmed. The biggest change awaits veteran utility back Clint Gutherson, who has occupied the fullback position for 41 games since leaving the Parramatta Eels to join the Red V. With high-profile recruit Scott Drinkwater locked in as the club’s first-choice fullback for next season, Gutherson will need to compete for a spot in a new position.
Drinkwater is one of several big-name signings joining the Dragons for 2027, and his arrival opens up multiple possible pathways for Gutherson: potential spots at centre, wing, or a utility interchange role off the bench. Currently, the 31-year-old Gutherson is sidelined for the remainder of the 2026 season with a knee injury, meaning he will formally step away from the fullback role when pre-season for 2027 gets underway.
Young laid out his plan for the versatile veteran in comments to SEN radio, noting that Gutherson’s value to the team extends far beyond the fullback position. “It’s not going to be fullback if ‘Drinky’ is fit and playing well, but he obviously can back up Drinky,” Young said. “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. He’ll be in the team somewhere, and we’ll see where we land.”
The positional shift also sparks questions around the Dragons’ 2027 captaincy. Longtime senior leader Damien Cook is already set to leave the club to join the English Super League, and if Gutherson moves to a bench role, the club will need a new on-field leader. Young noted that young gun Dylan Egan has stepped up into a leadership role in recent weeks, but a final captaincy decision will not be made until late January, after the new recruits have had time to settle into the squad and coach staff can assess team dynamics.
Alongside the Gutherson news, Young confirmed the long-term development plan for emerging forward Hamish Stewart, who has been a breakout revelation in the back row this season. Stewart, who had never played in the back row before making his NRL first grade debut this year, has excelled on the left edge in attack and handled heavy defensive workloads with ease. While he will remain in the edge role for the 2027 season, Young says Stewart is ultimately destined to fill a ball-playing lock position similar to that of Penrith Panthers star Isaah Yeo.
Young explained that keeping Stewart on the edge for the next 12 to 24 months is a deliberate choice to support the young forward’s long-term development. “At the moment, the team needed him to go to back row because he moves so well defensively, and we needed to improve defensively,” Young said. “He’s still only young, and I think at this stage of his career, him playing 80 minutes in the back row and not having the collisions that he’d probably feel and cop in the middle will be good for his long-term future.”
Young drew a parallel between Stewart’s development path and that of Australian and Penrith star Isaah Yeo, who began his career at centre, moved to the edge, and only transitioned to the ball-playing lock role at 25 or 26 years old. “Whether Hamish has to wait that long (remains to be seen),” Young said. “But at the moment, it just shows how good he is because he’d never played back row in his entire life until this year in first grade.” Young also added that Stewart’s strong form this season has put him in contention for a spot in Australia’s World Cup squad, highlighting how quickly the young forward has adapted to his new role.