Englishman ‘pens deal’ to join NRL club after injury nightmare

Englishman Ryan Sutton has penned a deal to join up with Gold Coast Titans for the remainder of the NRL season.

That’s according to the Daily Telegraph, who report the forward has been given the opportunity to remain Down Under after being released by Canterbury Bulldogs earlier this year. The 29-year-old is still on the comeback trail after undergoing a knee reconstruction and is said to be still some way off playing.

However, the deal gives Sutton the opportunity to show the Titans what he can do when he returns to action, given his last NRL game came in September 2023, against Gold Coast.

Ex-Wigan Warriors man ‘signs with NRL club’ after March release

Sutton has spent the majority of his career down under after making the move from Wigan Warriors to join Canberra Raiders in 2019. However, he is clearly keen to stick around in Australia and the move to Queensland gives him the opportunity to do just that as he bids to prolong his time in the NRL.

The 29-year-old has made 88 appearances in the sport’s premier competition, with most of those coming in the green of Canberra. He spent four years in the capital before moving on to join Canterbury Bulldogs in 2023.

His time with the Bulldogs didn’t go as planned, though, making just 13 appearances before his struggles for fitness and traction began. He failed to play a single NRL game last season, with his sole outing coming in the New South Wales Cup.

That was before he was released from his Bulldogs contract in March.

Sutton spent five seasons in the first-team picture at Wigan Warriors earlier in his career, making his debut for the club in 2014 before going on to make 118 appearances.

Given the time he has spent in the NRL, Sutton probably wouldn’t be short of options back in Super League should he be able to prove his fitness. It remains to be seen if a return to England would be on this radar moving forwards, though.