Clint Gutherson insists it's all smiles ahead of his first clash against Parramatta since being ushered out of the club, but come kick-off at CommBank Stadium, the St. George Illawarra fullback has no plans to take it easy on his former teammates.

The Dragons No.1 returns to the ground he once called home for nearly a decade, now wearing the Red V and thriving in new surroundings after being told by incoming Eels coach Jason Ryles that his future wasn't at fullback.

Gutherson, never one to dwell, packed his bags and found a new home at the Dragons, and so far, the move is paying off.

With seven try assists and a vocal leadership presence, Gutherson has quickly become a focal point in Shane Flanagan's system.

On Sunday, he lines up opposite the club that gave him 176 games, captaincy duties and a loyal fanbase.

But any sentiment will be shelved at the first whistle.

"I'm looking forward to it. It's going to be fun," Gutherson said, speaking with Fox.

"I've said it before that there were never any hard feelings leaving Parramatta, but it was just the way that they wanted to go. It's part of footy."

That part of footy has come full circle now, with Gutherson's replacement, rookie Isaiah Iongi, struggling to match the standard Gutherson set for nearly a decade.

The Eels are winless through the opening rounds and lacking direction from the back, while Gutherson has slotted seamlessly into the Dragons' attack.

It adds further intrigue to what was already shaping up as a spicy rematch.

Last year, the two sides produced an 84-point shootout at CommBank, and this time, there's added heat with Zac Lomax (who made the switch in the opposite direction) also facing his old club.

"I'm sure I'll get a reception from the crowd at some stage," Gutherson said, a smile creeping in.

"I've got a lot of mates over there and a lot of family. I call them family now, and I'm just looking forward to it. It's another game of footy for me, and it'll be fun."

That "family" includes Mitch Moses, J'maine Hopgood and Bryce Cartwright, all of whom remain close to Gutherson despite now being opponents. But sentiment only goes so far.

"You never want to see your mates struggling," he said.

"As I said, I've got a lot of mates there that will be my mates after footy. You want to see them doing better, but we want to beat them. There are no feelings towards that, we want to win."

It's the pragmatic ruthlessness that Parramatta fans knew well during Gutherson's tenure, the all-in mentality that made him a fan favourite even during tough years. The decision to let him go was always going to come with scrutiny, especially with Gutherson in strong early-season form and the Eels floundering.

Among those having the loudest laugh, Gutherson joked, is former Parramatta prop Reagan Campbell-Gillard, now at the Titans.

"It's probably Reggie," he laughed.

"He's gone, so he's just talking about how they let me go."

And while he admits the media hype this week is inevitable, Gutherson is treating the game with his trademark bluntness.

"Next week is just another game for me," he said.

"There'll be a bit of a build-up from the media, but that's just the way it goes. I just want to win."

That means even his closest mates aren't safe.

"Mitch and Hoppy and Carty are still my really good mates, so if they're out there, then I'm going to go and rip their heads off."