Former Dally M Medal winner Jack Wighton will join South Sydney next season in a massive blow to Canberra and also to the Dolphins in their search to sign a marquee star for their fledgling club.
Wighton’s friendship with Rabbitohs duo Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker led the NSW and Australian representative to accept a less lucrative deal at Redfern than what he could have earned if he had stayed at the Raiders or accepted Wayne Bennett’s offer to head to Redcliffe, first reported by Nine journalist Danny Weidler, on Tuesday afternoon.
The Raiders have lodged a formal complaint with the NRL salary cap auditor over the likely four-year deal, questioning how the star-studded Rabbitohs can afford to add a top-line talent like Wighton to their roster, according to a NewsCorp report.
The 30-year-old five-eighth, who recently announced he was retiring from rep footy to concentrate on winning a premiership in the remaining years of his career, is a veteran of 225 NRL games with the Green Machine after making his debut in 2012.
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Wighton, who won the Dally M in 2020, a year after he was awarded the Clive Churchill Medal for his efforts in Canberra’s Grand Final loss to the Roosters, informed teammates of his decision on Tuesday but the Bunnies are yet to formally announce his recruitment.
Jack Wighton of the Raiders (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
With the Rabbitohs having Walker at five-eighth and Mitchell at fullback – Wighton’s two preferred positions – they are likely to use him in the centres where he has excelled for NSW in recent years.
A centre pairing of Wighton and Campbell Graham would arguably be the most potent in the NRL next year.
His departure from the Raiders is a bitter blow to coach Ricky Stuart’s chances of breaking the club’s wait for a premiership which stretches back to 1994.
The Raiders, who have struggled to attract high-profile free agents to the national capital, were informed by Wighton last month that he would not be activating a clause in his contract to stay next year because he wanted to gauge his market value.
Bennett met Wighton last weekend in Brisbane while the Raiders had the bye to discuss a potential move to the NRL’s newest franchise but the Dolphins have again struck out after going close to signing a raft of stars last year heading into their foundation season.
NSW coach Brad Fittler said “anyone who gets Jack Wighton’s going to be a good fit for them”.
“He’s a great player. He’s focused, motivated, he’s a weapon.”
Tetley
Roar Rookie
Agree that Cody's kicking game is fine - more than serviceable. He doesn't have the towering torpedo bomb in his arsenal but he can definitely kick a footy with accuracy.
Tetley
Roar Rookie
Souths have Blake Taaffe as an immediate option in the halves. They also signed one of the best young running 5/8s in the game. Jye Gray. He’s their long-term succession plan for walker. They also have Dion Teaupa up their sleeve who absolutely killed it in Souths’ pre-season game against Manly. And just to make sure they signed Shaqueil Saunders who scored the try of the tournament at the last Koori Knockout. Check it out online – a solo chip and chase with two different chips (one off the left foot and one off the right). So I reckon they’re pretty stacked with promise. And of course their biggest potential insurance policy at 5/8 is Latrell Mitchell. He could play 5/8 on his ear.
Big Mig
Roar Rookie
Jack playing alongside Latrell, Walker, AJ and Graham will certainly make the best back line in the comp. Money well spent from Souths given he just boasted their chances of winning a premiership. It feels like he really WANTS to play Souths, good on him, his mates and the aura he brings. He also brings a great deal of experience too and utility as Jack can also play in the halves or second row.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
And consistently up the top, always competitive. You don't need Wighton. Get your fullback focussed. You have a really good squad, good luck in '23.
Tim Buck 3
Roar Rookie
The best meal I have ever eaten was a Seafood Basket at a pub in Yepoon.
steveng
Roar Rookie
Well DP, after Souths have gone for 5 years with 4x 3rd week finals and then losing that 2021 GF and in that game seeing that heartbreaking intercept pass thrown by Cody to lose by 2 points, when and if Trell was playing, we would have won that, then in 2022 3rd week final beaten again by the Panthers by 20, then before that in 2019 again got to the 3rd week beaten by the Raiders by 6 points, then in 2018 again to the 3rd week final beaten by the Roosters by 8 points. I don’t give a rats what Jack said or his ambitions are, he's got to prove himself as up to now he hasn't done much imo, Trell and Cody said the same thing when they signed their longer contracts, and the Bunnies haven’t shown anything as yet, they better get to the GF first in 2023, as up and since 2014 we only looked like winning a GF in 2021 and they lost that. I don’t pay any attention to what the Souths boys say, I look at their performance week in week out and their efforts, and so far, yes they beat the Panthers JUST through pure determination and the effort that we want them to have every week, so lets see if that continues and what they do Friday night against the Broncos and then against the Storm and then for the rest of the season, as in the previous 5 years they only looked good at the end of the season and never won a GF :laughing:
criag
Roar Rookie
Nah! Been all explained before on numerous platforms and media. Easts, and for that matter, Souths, have nothing to fear.
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
Nah, I will stick with the board shorts mud crabs & prawns
Birdy
Roar Rookie
The house prices are crazy unless your selling from Sydney or Melbourne and buying in Canberra
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
You could be right, just note that it isn't me starting talking about the premiership, that's apparently coming from Jack. He wants to win a premiership hence Souths ahead of Dolphins (and Raiders). So you can't avoid the chat. And why would Souths be buying him when they have a team already good enough - because they think he'll make the difference between a win and not-a-win. So both parties clearly have premierships in mind with this alliance.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
Which is why it's the go-to for Englishmen
steveng
Roar Rookie
No DP, I didn’t say that at all, Tass has a big future at Souths, he came into the NRL in R8 2022 as we didn’t have a centre, he’s done alright since then, just like Ilias has, but Tass is not at the top level that he needs to be at this level yet, as he’s shown on many occasions that he’s not and cost us dearly. I’ve no objections of Tass staying at Souths ‘if he wants to’ but not in the centres, he can be a winger or a replacement centre. Souths are not buying a GF at all, as Jack is a big gamble also and Souths are NOT buying a top centre like Crichton that is going to turn things around straight away if he plays for Souths, Jack will need to put it all in at the highest level at Souths, this is week in and week out, not like at the Raiders where he’s hit or miss, that is the gamble that Souths are taking and we are NOT buying any GF or premiership, like all these ridiculous comments I’m reading on this thread, and comparing us to the Roaters, which is an insult! The questionable and the bottom line here is this, is Jack going to put it all in and make an effort or is he going to continue on like he has at the Raiders? As if thinks that he’s going to do that, he’s got a big surprise coming to him, as Souths won’t put up with that and/or the Souths fans and Jack will have a very short career at Souths!
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
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blacktown leagues
Roar Rookie
hes been named in the squad would not surprise to see peach back to the bench jenkins start and salmon miss out he had a horror last ten against the bunnies ivan normally stays loyal regarding salmon but a possibility or could be the suruva scenario as you suggest
Geo
Roar Rookie
So the salary cap doesn’t work. Watching $15m worth of players (Roosters) play a team full of second graders that should be worth $5m in total (Tigers) makes it obvious.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
I had a karma dream. South win 2023 Tass replaces Herbie at Broncos Broncos, a year more experienced and stronger win the comp in '24 Reno and Tass (a 2peat winner) link arms and holiday together in Bali, send Jack postcards.
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
You really might want to rethink that offer..... ;)
Albo
Roar Rookie
I agree BL ! We always have plenty of young guns coming through. But getting them to NRL level still takes time , and we have to run the gauntlet of 16 other poachers in the meantime. I think Tass is a ready made centre if he is available. I like Tom Jenkins as a future centre , but concerned he has only been given one match last year, and has now been overlooked this week for Peachey ?? Maybe they are saving him to replace Turuva who must be in doubt ?
DP Schaefer
Roar Rookie
So there’s no patience anymore? No time for players to develop their skills? Tass is a what? 27game player you said? So he’s on the scrap heap already? The game is not just full of experienced players, they all start from somewhere and need developing and the right touch. You telling me that now guys want to play for Souths for large unders – not a paperbag in sight? If reports are anywhere near correct Jack is giving up half a mill…. He may not be a worldbeater, but your guys are definitely trying to buy a premiership. I’m not an unkind person by nature, but much will be our karmatric mirth if you win this year and not again during Jack’s tenure.
blacktown leagues
Roar Rookie
gotta a couple of younguns coming through albo we will be ok tom jenkins will fill that hole if not next year the year after