At some point on Friday, on either side of the John Sattler memorial that will take place at the club’s old stomping ground at Redfern Oval, South Sydney powerbrokers are expected to make their pitch to Jack Wighton.
It will not be as financially attractive as the offers put to him by the Raiders and Dolphins, but will be compelling nonetheless; a chance to play with his great mate Latrell Mitchell, at a club that’s a genuine chance of winning a premiership.
The deal, should he accept it, will come at a cost of about $1 million. The Rabbitohs are prepared to table a contract of up to four years, but won’t be able to get near the $4.4 million the Green Machine is prepared to outlay over that period. The Dolphins have also been sharpening their pencil since the Herald’s bombshell revelation that the Pride of the League is jockeying for Wighton’s signature.
The Rabbitohs’ deal would average out to about $850,000 per season, the majority of which would come in the final two years of the deal. Extraordinarily, Souths believe they won’t have to shed players in order to accommodate another marquee man.
The only guaranteed departure should Wighton sign would be Blake Taafe, who is off contract at the end of the season anyway. If they miss out on the former NSW and Australian star, Taafe will likely be re-signed.
The addition of Wighton to an already star-studded side that includes Mitchell, Cody Walker, Cameron Murray, Damien Cook, Campbell Graham, Alex Johnston, Jai Arrow, Keaon Koloamatangi and Tom Burgess will undoubtedly raise eyebrows and spark the type of “salary sombrero” jibes that have long been levelled at the Roosters.
Jack Wighton and Latrell Mitchell could be playing together again.
However, the Rabbitohs believe the likely retirements of Cook and Walker at the end of their next contracts, which expire at the end of 2025, will provide enough space to back-end Wighton’s deal.
While it’s less than what he can get elsewhere, it is nonetheless a huge investment for a left centre, which will be the position Wighton plays when all of the Souths superstars are fit and available. The club views this as a chance to convert a regular preliminary final appearance into a premiership before its window closes.
Wighton, who is taking advantage of Canberra’s bye round to finalise his affairs, has much to ponder. His friendship with Mitchell can’t be overstated; they are both Wiradjuri men, their mothers are related and share the same management group. The pair were inseparable during last year’s World Cup and are spotted together at boxing and other social events whenever their schedules allow.
Like Mitchell, Wighton is a country boy at heart. Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga attempted to ring the Raiders No.6 during the week to congratulate him on the end of a fine representative career, but he was out of phone range while fishing on the Murrumbidgee River. Mitchell is proof that you can live in the city and still escape to the farm. The Rabbitohs allow him to return to his rural roots whenever their schedule allows.
There are other factors to consider. The tug-of-war for Wighton’s services marks the first time that Souths coach Jason Demetriou and Dolphins mentor Wayne Bennett have gone after the same player. While playing under Bennett holds appeal – and Wighton’s partner has family in Queensland – he would get only one year under the veteran clipboard holder before the club transitions to Kristian Woolf.
Staying put also holds appeal. Canberra have stood by Wighton throughout several off-field dramas and have tabled a deal that trumps anything that rivals can muster. But if winning a premiership alongside one of his best mates is his ultimate motivation, Souths could be welcoming Wighton on the same day they are farewelling Sattler.
