ANALYSIS: Gutho already is Parra’s x-factor – especially when they’re running at Kalyn the turnstile

Parramatta needed this. In truth, they need every point they can get given their tough start to the year, but they needed to put a score on someone too.

Luckily, they ran into a very generous Knights side and duly thrashed them 43-12, with Clint Gutherson scoring a hat trick.

It’s easy to reimagine the season with a different draw, where Parra are allowed to ease themselves into the year rather than taking on the toughest possible games in the first two months.

Even accounting for the...