The plan to surprise his family with a Christmas visit to Wigan alongside partner Kate, who hasn't yet met Sutton's parents, was almost perfect.

They'd been granted permission to travel by the Canberra Raiders, forked out an exorbitant amount of cash to book their flights, and even told the press pre-Christmas that he'd be staying put in Australia this summer - a drastic step for Sutton whose brutal honesty is usually only matched by a flawless work ethic.

"I just wanted to keep it under wraps a bit because I was going to surprise my mum and dad, they're always asking about when can I come home," Sutton said.

"We were trying to tell them that we weren't going home and obviously putting it in the press would've spoiled the surprise. My partner wants to meet my family and my family wants to meet Kate."

"It was gutting what happened."

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A week and a half before Christmas, a Raiders physiotherapist tested positive to the virus - after he'd treated a number of players at close quarters.

Omicron spread through the club, forcing Ricky Stuart to shut down preseason training almost a week earlier than it was due to end before Christmas.

Sutton feared the worst, but was able to delay his flights by a couple of days while he and Kate awaited test results. Rapid antigen testing suggested they were negative, and for a brief moment Sutton was buoyed by the fact he was going home for the first time in more than two years.

Then their PCR tests came back positive.

"There was a few emotional days there with not being able to go home and see anyone," Sutton said.

"It would've just made the year a lot easier seeing family. My Nan's not getting any younger, I could've gone and spent some time with her.

"My best mate had a kid that I've not seen. There was a lot riding on it but you can't do anything at the end of the day.

"We spent so much money, luckily we had travel insurance and what not - with the timing, Covid, what was happening at Christmas, the flights weren't the cheapest.

"It is what it is at the end of the day, it's not just affecting me it's affecting everyone."

The positive result was a double whammy for the English front rower, ahead of his fourth season at the Green Machine.

On top of cancelling his trip to the UK, Sutton and Kate ended up having to spend about two and a half weeks in quarantine, due to the ever-changing health guidelines.

Further adding to the ruined festive period was Sutton's body, which was hit incredibly hard by the virus.

"First up I felt like I just had a blocked nose and I thought I had a sinus infection or hayfever or something, I was like surely it's not that, it doesn't feel that bad," Sutton said.

"Gradually over the days it gradually got worse, I got the chills. I didn't lose my sense of smell or taste but I pretty much got everything else.

"We ended up spending more time in quarantine than what we should have because the government changed the rules two or three times while we was in quarantine.

"We were back and forth with the ACT Health and we understand it's not on them, it's from higher powers. The way the government can change it willy-nilly, it's as if they've not got a clue.

"And that's the problem because no one's got a clue about what's happening. Just have one rule for every state rather than changing them.

"Luckily we got out the day before New Year's Eve. At least we got to spend some time with Kate's family, we was even scared because Kate's father he's quite high risk.

"We had so much going on in our head. It's just frustrating, obviously from wanting to go home and then ended up spending two and a half weeks in quarantine."