It has been revealed that Parramatta Eels' star Clinton Gutherson is yet to resume contract talks with the club.
Gutherson and his agent, Sam Ayoub, put contract talks on hold back in August so the star fullback could focus on attempting to deliver a premiership to the Eels.
While the Parramatta club fell short in that pursuit, all attention has turned to retention with the Eels having 18 players off-contract at the end of next season, with each of them able to field offers from rival clubs as of yesterday.
Alongside Gutherson, names like Isaiah Papali'i, Reed Mahoney, Ryan Matterson and Dylan Brown could all opt to hit the open market.
It had been heavily rumoured the NRL's newest team, the Dolphins, could make a major play for Gutherson, however, new reports yesterday suggest they are going to throw mega-money at Kalyn Ponga - meaning any bid for Gutherson is seemingly off the table.
According to The Daily Telegraph though, the Eels are yet to resume contract negotiations with Gutherson, meaning they have now been on hold for over three months.
Ayoub confirmed to the publication however that Gutherson's preference is to remain at Parramatta.
“We’re waiting at our end. It’s as simple as that. Clint and I are available and ready to talk," Ayoub said.
“Clint is no different to any other player — he is a professional and needs to consider all options. In saying that he has made it clear that his preference would be to stay at Parramatta at this stage.
“And I have no interest in talking about the interested parties that are keen to chat with Clint going forward.”
Gutherson is believed to want a four-year deal to remain at the Eels.
The Parramatta salary cap will be squeezed in a big way, with Papali'i already among those to hint at hitting the open market following a lowball offer from the club.