St George Illawarra Dragons fullback Clint Gutherson will not play again this season after having surgery to repair a persistent knee injury that has hampered him for months.
The Daily Telegraph has reported that the Dragons co-captain underwent a cartilage operation on his troublesome knee on Wednesday, bringing his 2026 season to a close.
Gutherson had been playing through significant pain for the majority of the season, pushing through discomfort that eventually forced the club's hand.
While the injury had been a slow-burning issue rather than a single moment, the decision to operate now reflects how much it had been limiting the veteran fullback week to week.
Rather than risk further damage, the Dragons opted for surgery to give Gutherson the best chance of a full recovery.
The good news for Dragons fans is that the surgery is not expected to be a long-term setback.
St George Illawarra's medical staff are confident Gutherson will be fit and ready to go when pre-season training begins in November, putting him on track for a normal build-up to the 2027 NRL season.
This allows Gutherson to rehab the knee before returning to full training with his teammates.
With Gutherson sidelined, the responsibility of playing fullback falls to Daniel Atkinson.
He is expected to wear the number one jersey for the rest of the 2026 campaign as the Dragons look to finish the year on a positive note.
Atkinson's move to fullback allows Dean Young to assess his versatility and attacking instincts in a new position, with selection decisions for 2027 already looming for the Red V.
For the first time since 2017 and 2018, he did not play 20 games in a season, and it is the lowest number of games Gutherson has played in a calendar year.
Gutherson's future is in limbo as he is off-contract at the end of the 2027 season, and with the Dragons having flexibility with his and Valentine Holmes' contracts coming off the books at the same time, one of the intriguing questions at the Dragons will be regarding the future of the two players who were signed in 2024 after they were released by their previous clubs.
The Dragons play the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs on Saturday night before their match against the Manly Sea Eagles, and then the Parramatta Eels in the final round of the season.
If the Dragons win the rest of their games this season, they can potentially finish the season without winning the wooden spoon.
