Jason Demetriou has rubbished suggestions Jack Wighton should not have been allowed to sacrifice nearly $1m to join South Sydney, and said there was no price you could place on happiness.
Wighton passed on Canberra’s $4.4m four-year deal to link with good friends Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker and Cameron Murray at Redfern, with the Souths deal worth $750,000 in 2024 and 2025, before rising the final two years.
Within hours of Wighton informing his Raiders teammates he was leaving the nation’s capital on Tuesday, club officials asked the NRL to probe Souths’ deal.
The Souths’ signing coup has caused such frustration among fans that Wighton was subjected to vile abuse online.
Demetriou, who only met Wighton for the first time last Friday, was delighted the international would join Souths, and told the Herald the top players in the game regularly accepted less money if they knew they would be happy.
The coach added Wighton’s deal would not impact on the club’s ability to retain a string of stars, and talks had already commenced with Murray, Campbell Graham, Junior Tatola, Keaon Koloamatangi and Jai Arrow about becoming Rabbits for Life.
Wighton today picCredit: AAP
“Playing elite sport and not being happy is a bloody lonely place to be, and the smart ones recognise that,” Demetriou said.
“It’s about being happy and enjoying where you play. If you go through all the top clubs, every one of their top four or five players could earn more money on the open market. So to suggest people don’t take unders to play at clubs they’re happy at is just ridiculous.
“[Roosters skipper] James Tedesco could go on the open market and get $200,000 or $300,000 more. Melbourne just re-signed Harry Grant, [Nelson] Asofa-Solomona, Cam Munster was offered a lot more money [elsewhere] but stayed.
“Players don’t make decisions all about money, especially when they’re at the top end, and they have looked after their money. They make decisions on what makes them happy and [where] they can play the best footy they can play.”
What price happiness? Jack Wighton will link with Kangaroos mate Cameron Murray at South Sydney.Credit: Getty Images
Demetriou said the “rumour-mongering” and intense commentary about Wighton’s salary – and the cap implications for the club – was disappointing, and often led to “paranoia and over-excitement from fans”, which then led to unsavoury incidents like Wednesday night’s Instagram abuse levelled at the 30–year-old.
When Mitchell, Walker, Damien Cook and Tom Burgess extended their deals over the summer, Demetriou said they all accepted less in the hope the playing group would not be blown apart by the cap.
“We had to go to the negotiating table with four players in the off-season – Latrell, Cody, Damien and Tom – and every one of those players entered the negotiations knowing we want to keep this group together,” Demetriou said.
“They made decisions around their contracts to make sure there are opportunities to make sure this club stays together.
“And I think that flow-on effect will happen with the other boys as well.
“We wouldn’t have made this decision [about Wighton] without knowing we could retain those five players.
“That’s what our focus is. My hope is to have them as one-club players, and that hasn’t changed.”
Souths will start favourites against table-toppers Brisbane, who are without Payne Haas and Ezra Mam because of suspension, as well as Corey Oates who suffered a knee injury.
Demetriou is “massively against” hip-drop tackles, believes they should simply be called “dangerous tackles”, but Haas was unlucky to be sidelined for his effort last Friday.
The Broncos, however, still have Adam Reynolds, the former Souths favourite and premiership winner who is the form halfback in the NRL.
“He’s one of the elite halves in the game, and he’s playing off the back of a very, very good forward pack.
“They’re up there with the best forward packs in the game. And outside of Reyno is some exciting young backs. He’s the glue they needed, they needed that experience and someone who can control the game, and let those other guys use their talents. He’s doing that really well.”
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