‘That’s been my main motivation’: Drew Hutchison ready to realise his potential as Canterbury’s long-term halfback

He’s earnt the dreaded utility tag over the past few years for his ability to fill in wherever necessary, but Bulldogs recruit Drew Hutchison wants 2024 to be the season he locks down the halfback spot at a club that has been screaming out for a long-term on-field general.

Hutchison has always seem himself as a No.7 and was once regarded as the most exciting playmaker coming through the ranks after he was named halfback in the 2014 Holden Cup team of the year.

But he’s started just nine games at halfback in his seven seasons with the Dragons and Roosters, which was one of the reasons why he signed with Canterbury.

“Ever since I came to the Bulldogs, that’s been my main motivation for leaving (the Roosters),” he replied when asked about the halfback job.

“To come into a club like the Bulldogs and not only establish a spot in the team but also establish myself as a starting NRL player has been a big challenge for me.

“I’ve always considered myself in the halves, whether that be a seven or a six. It’s something I’ve had to adapt to for me to do a different role, but coming to the Bulldogs, I feel like I’ve got an understanding of my role from day one.

“It’s exciting for me to continue to work on that and develop that through the pre-season.”

There are now just two weeks to go until Canterbury’s first trial against the Storm and it’s still unclear who will play halfback, with Toby Sexton also in the mix to win the jersey.

It’s why the February 15 game is so important with a number of spots still there to be won.

“I think it’s definitely going to be a chance for people to impress and put their hand up,” Hutchison said.

“While we want to put our best team out there, blokes’ minutes will need to be monitored, so it’s about getting combinations and getting an understanding of the team that’s going to be around you.

“One thing that we’ve got this year is a lot of new faces. The idea of getting combinations in is something we’re looking forward to.

“The way that we’ve been training, it’s really up for grabs. I know this trial period that’s coming up is going to be really important in terms of positions.

“That’s one thing that I’ve really noticed about the pre-season here – spots are up for grabs, 1-17, and none of them are really locked in. The coaches have been really honest about that and it’s brought the best out of a lot of players at training.

“I’ve been training in the halves, and I think there have been four or five of us training there in the pre-season. It does make you really switch on and bring your best effort to training each week.”

The Bulldogs will be one of the biggest stories in 2024 after they won just seven games under Cameron Ciraldo last season, with talk about disharmony at the club due to heavy workloads at training.

But the players are adamant that it’s a non-issue, with the new-look Bulldogs ready to start fresh with a squad that features no one from their 2021 top-30 roster.

“You’re hearing those rumours and those whispers last year, it couldn’t be further from the truth when you come here and you experience how hard the boys have been training,” Hutchison said.

“Some blokes, when they get pulled out of drills, they’ve really got to be pulled out.

“There’s been no real talk of the past or what’s sort of happened with all the new faces that are here. It’s been pretty exciting and there’s a bit of a buzz around every session. There hasn’t been much time to dwell on what’s happened before.”