Calls have grown louder for Jack Wighton to end his contract circus and make a final decision on his future after a sub-par performance against the Dragons in Round 7.
The 31-year-old announced his shock retirement from representative football on Tuesday after a total of 17 games for NSW and Australia.
Meanwhile, Wighton has a huge call to make after he informed the Canberra club he would be hitting the open market with both the Raiders and Dolphins in the running for his signature.
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The Daily Telegraph’s Paul Crawley believes he has an “obligation” to make a decision this week before the two clubs face each other in Round 9.
He also pointed to Wighton’s lacklustre display against Anthony Griffin’s struggling Red V outfit, throwing a crucial intercept pass for a Tautau Moga try.
“He has got an obligation to the club to make a decision this week, because after the bye they play the Dolphins,” Crawley said on NRL360 on Tuesday.
“It will be the biggest story in town and his last two games he has let them down, the game before he got suspended against the Knights he went out a played like a lunatic.
“And then he went out on the weekend and you would have expected more from him but his head wasn’t in the game.
“He threw that intercept pass that almost cost them the result at the end of the game and he just needs to make his decision in fairness to the Raiders who have tabled a pretty reasonable offer.
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“He’s got to make that call and then get on with the rest of the season.”
“His game at the weekend was one of the worst I have ever seen Jack Wighton play,” The Australian’s Brent Read added.
“It was on the podium for one of the worst so he needs to resolve it, because my feeling is he is going to go.”
NRL360 co-host Paul Kent echoed Crawley’s opinion and explained Wighton needs a clear mind to deliver his best on the field.
The Raiders have reportedly tabled a four-year extension worth $4.4 million in an attempt to keep their gun five-eighth a one-club player.
Although it is understood Wighton is keen on a move to Queensland and could be enticed to join the NRL’s newest franchise.
“He’s one of those players whose demeanour off the field matches how he plays on it,” Kent said.
“So for his own peace of mind and own football, a decision sooner rather than later would sound preferable.
“It doesn’t sound like other than the Dolphins’ and the Raiders’ offer, it is just those two to consider.
“The Raiders came in top dollar, here it is, this is how much you mean to us and how much we want you to stay.
“We haven’t heard what the Dolphins have offered, clearly they have to table an offer.”
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NRL360 host Braith Anasta, who has played 288 NRL games for the Bulldogs, Roosters and Tigers, knows exactly how much a contract decision can weigh on a player’s mind.
After his Bulldogs contract expired after the 2005 season, multiple clubs were vying for his signature before he signed with the Roosters.
He later departed the Tricolours, making a big switch to the Tigers to play under Tim Sheens, although he was replaced by Mick Potter prior to the beginning of the 2013 season.
“The decision is so important to him and his family and also to the club, so he is carrying that on his back,” Anasta said.
“Everyone says ‘oh it is a game of footy, just go out there’. No, I am telling you now I have been in similar situations… you carry a big load, you can’t just push it away.”
Wighton also broke his silence on Tuesday regarding his looming contract decision, with one line catching the eye of the NRL360 panel.
“I absolutely love the Raiders and I always will,” Wighton said to The Daily Telegraph.
Kent believes Wighton’s comment could mean he is resigned to leaving the nation’s capital, or he in fact wants to remain with the Raiders for the remainder of his career.
“The bigger concern out of today was what he said about the Raiders and where that might indicate his future lies… he said ‘I love the Raiders and always will’,” Kent said.
“The fact he says he loves the Raiders, and he always will, you can read that two ways. Is a part of his head already out of the club? Or is that saying I want to be around forever?
“Certainly the way some people saw it, it was almost reading in past tense.”
