The Canberra Raiders are now seemingly fighting a losing battle to keep former Dally M Medallist Jack Wighton at the club beyond 2024.
Wighton is approaching the final year of his current deal in Canberra and has openly admitted his desire to explore the free-agency market.
The 30-year-old’s retirement from representative footy stunned many but gave a clear indication of his motivation to play for a premiership-winning side.
With Fox Sports reporting that Wighton is now likely to take a million-dollar pay cut and sign to sign with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, Canberra is now just days away from losing their star playmaker.
SEN rugby league expert Mal Meninga opened up on how the club can convince him to stay in the nation’s capital and how a move to Sydney might affect Wighton’s lifestyle.
“Latrell (Mitchell) does (lives in Sydney), he’s got a young family, but he often makes treks back to his farm in Taree,” Meninga said on *SEN 1170 The Throwdown.
“That’s the cultural bit I’m talking about, someone like Latrell, he’s a really good example, he struggles to live in the big city, he loves his own space and time by himself or with his family further up north, and the club allows him to do that.
“I think that appeals to Jack, he loves his fishing, I tried to call him the other day, but he was fishing up on the Murrumbidgee, so that’s where he wants to be.
“The Raiders can offer all that, it’s a big country city but it’s got all the trims of a countrified environment, which appeals to Jack.
“As we read into the articles, and Jack’s being totally honest around family, he wants to win a premiership, the Raiders need to prove to Jack that they’re not too far from doing it… where the Rabbitohs don’t have to worry about that, per se, because they are more likely to based on rosters.”
Wighton’s relationship with close mate Latrell Mitchell, along with his Indigenous background may be determining factors into his free-agency decision, according to Meninga.
“The Rabbitohs are an interesting one mainly because he’s extremely good friends with Latrell, I think there’s distant relations (between them) as well,” Meninga added.
“Cody Walker as well, obviously that Indigenous aspect to the club, it’s been really strong in the way they promote and (they’re) a very inclusive club around the first nation’s people, based in Redfern.
“He’s really proud of his heritage and where he’s from, obviously he’s had a bit of a difficult upbringing but from that, he’s learnt some really strong lessons, he wants to be close to his Aboriginality.
“Having strong characters like Latrell and Cody Walker around can only enhance where he wants to go.”