In the absence of a Gladiator, Godfather or beach, the Canberra Raiders have every right to feel paranoid when Jack Wighton signs with South Sydney for less money.
But as the Raiders search for answers, and conspiracy theories bounce around the rugby league ether, they need to ask themselves a sobering question: if Wighton was happy, wouldn’t he have stayed?
Players want clubs to show them the money, but sometimes it’s not just about the money.
The NRL’s transfer system – more a bunch of vague rules than a system – is so broken and distrusted that Wighton’s four-year deal with the Rabbitohs has been widely pegged as a rort.
When rugby league’s version of Siegfried and Roy – Peter V’landys and Andrew Abdo – are done with their obsession about invading Las Vegas, they might consider channelling some of their energy into fixing how players move from club to club.
So, too, might RLPA boss Clint Newton, who constantly bangs on about “the fans” but roadblocks every move to make the player market equitable and transparent.
Ricky Stuart and Jack Wighton.Credit: Erick Lucero/NRL Photos
Having known Wighton since he was a teenager, the Raiders are certain he wouldn’t take less money to join another club, particularly at the age of 30 with this contract expected to be his last.
There are all sorts of numbers getting around but from what I can gather the Canberra offer was $1 million a year, plus a car deal worth $50,000, over four years with a bit of drinking silver in the ashtray.
Wighton has gone to Souths on $850,000 a year over the same term. So, the difference is about $200,000 a year.
Canberra suspect he’s received lucrative third-party deals to reach parity with their offer. The Rabbitohs are furious at this suggestion and say it’s incorrect.
There are also rumours mysterious art dealer Steve Nateski – the man who has the ear of Joseph Suaalii and a Rabbitohs benefactor – has been involved in negotiations, but Souths scoff at this, too.
Only the paranoid survive, as they say in the classics, but Canberra essentially feels an obligation to their fans as much as themselves to ensure the deal is properly scrutinised by the salary cap auditor.
The Raiders know there will never be a level playing field until the NRL and RLPA get serious about the contract system but, in the meantime, they’re going to do their best to put heat on all concerned.
You can bet Souths would do the same thing if they lost their biggest name for less money.
They should recognise their rival’s plight.
Several people at the NRL a decade or so ago wanted Canberra gone. They’ve also had their junior pathways in the Riverina pillaged by the AFL with very little help from the NRL.
With no disrespect to the good people of the ACT and surrounding regions, they’re also a difficult sell to players when negotiating against the likes of Russell Crowe, Nick Politis and clubs in more exotic locations.
Canberra has punched above its weight by being a club for which players want to play, and that’s where the Raiders might start asking questions of themselves.
Jack Wighton during his days for the Blues.Credit: NRL Photos
It’s entirely plausible that Wighton has joined Souths because he wants to win a premiership. I’ll be stunned if they don’t start next season as short-priced favourites.
He isn’t just close to Souths fullback Latrell Mitchell but related to him. They are both managed by No Limit’s Matt Rose, who also looks after five-eighth Cody Walker.
Clearly, though, Wighton is no longer happy playing under coach Ricky Stuart, who has backed Wighton more than anyone throughout his career, including times when Wighton has faced police charges and court appearances.
Stuart is loyal to a fault and is wounded when it’s not returned. Wighton intimated to him and a teammate that he was staying then backflipped.
All’s fair in love and contracts, but that’s not how you treat someone who has stood by you so staunchly.
Any chance of Wighton staying in Canberra evaporated when the Daily Telegraph revealed intimate details of the negotiations. The Wighton camp was furious and Souths officials were high-fiving.
Adding to the friction between the two clubs is the fact former Souths premiership-winning coach Michael Maguire is an assistant to Stuart at the Raiders.
Wighton has told others that he’s wearied by Maguire’s relentless approach, an accusation that’s been levelled before. Canberra is aware of this accusation and deny it.
Perhaps the primary reason Wighton wants to move on, though, is the most obvious — he doesn’t want the responsibility of five-eighth because he’s a left centre with arguably the best left-foot step in the game.
Wighton has been shuffled from wing to centre to fullback and then, in 2019, to five-eighth but anyone who knows the guy will tell you he isn’t comfortable with the responsibility of playing in the halves.
Go to Souths, play off Latrell and Cody on the left edge, probably win a comp, become mates with Rusty, and sip on $14 schooners on the rooftop at the Pavilion before slipping into retirement?
Sounds like a good plan to me.
Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas.Credit: Getty
Vegas Vacation: Yes, please
As much as your humble columnist would love nothing more than to re-enact every chapter of Hunter S Thompson’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas through a rugby league lens, the notion of opening the 2024 season there already seems like a pipedream.
As revealed this week – presumably to take rugby union off the back page – the NRL wants to host a double-header in Sin City in late February, tying it in with a Tim Tszyu fight and, hopefully, a Wayne Newton show at The Flamingo.
V’landys and Abdo will fly there in the coming weeks to squeeze money out of the Nevada Tourism Commission to help fund the ambitious plan.
Like every junket-starved reporter, I was all for the idea but was left heartbroken when I learned the NRL isn’t looking to book Allegiant Stadium, the $3 billion home of the Las Vegas Raiders and next year’s Super Bowl that seats 65,000 people and has a retractable roof.
The Vegas strip: What could possibly go wrong?Credit: Getty Images
Alas, the NRL is looking to hold the double-header at the rundown Sam Boyd Stadium, which has a capacity of about 30,000 and is a 40-minute drive from the Las Vegas Strip.
Nothing’s confirmed, I’m told. Wake me when it is.
Flanno take a shot at Robbo
Shane Flanagan had a subtle dig at Roosters coach Trent Robinson on 2GB’s Continuous Call team at the weekend.
An hour after Robinson was on the program talking about hip-drop tackles, host Mark Levy asked if Flanagan thought Robinson considered himself the man who “invented the air in the football”.
Flanagan laughed and agreed they “had some ding-dong battles” over the years before adding of the Robinson interview: “I nearly nodded off.”
Remember, Robinson went cold on Flanagan’s son, Kyle, as a halfback in 2020.
Should St George Illawarra sign Flanagan as Anthony Griffin’s replacement?
Having his say: Manly assistant Shane Flanagan.Credit: NRL Photos
They might have no choice: Jason Ryles has indicated to several people he’s not interested in a homecoming to the Dragons and will probably end up at the Melbourne Storm because Craig Bellamy is at long odds to continue beyond this year, despite reports suggesting otherwise.
Flanagan is so serious about the Dragons’ gig he has engaged controversial player agent Isaac Moses because his regular manager, Wayne Beavis, looks after incumbent coach Anthony Griffin.
THE QUOTE
“It was basically, ‘Fend for yourself, see you later, thanks for your services … we’re going to do our best for you not to ever come back and play cricket for our country again, we’re going to blame you for everything’. And that’s what they did.” — Candice Warner with some spicy comments on the Matty Johns Podcast about Cricket Australia’s treatment of her husband, Dave, in the wake of Sandpaper-gate.
Supportive: Candice Warner and her husband David.Credit: Getty
THUMBS UP
LIV Golf’s get-blind-drunk-and-throw-your-beer-cups-in-the-air-like-you-just-don’t-care approach was a raging success at Adelaide’s The Grange at the weekend. This could indeed be the future of golf in Australia. I just don’t need Greg Norman telling me that every five minutes.
THUMBS DOWN
The tragic death and subsequent outpouring of grief following the death of jockey Dean Holland in a fall at Donald in country Victoria on Monday shows how dangerous their profession can be. The only upside is the beautiful way the racing fraternity has mourned and honoured him.
It’s a big weekend for … LeBron James who, at the age of 38, will lace up the high-tops in game six of the Western Conference playoffs against Memphis on Saturday AEST.
It’s an even bigger weekend for … the Sydney Swans and GWS Giants as they do battle in the, er, Battle for the Bridge on Saturday at the SCG. Swans at 10th on the ladder, Giants 12th, and both are coming off losses.
Stream the NRL Premiership 2023 live and free on 9Now.
