The signing of Jack Wighton to Redfern will rank among the more interesting player moves of 2024.
Wighton, a five-eighth who has spent his entire playing career with the Canberra Raiders, surprised many when he announced his intention to leave the nation’s capital.
Wighton’s devotion to the Raiders is undeniable; not only has he participated in all 242 NRL games for the team, but in 2023 he gave up playing representative rugby league in an effort to dedicate himself to the Raiders and help them win a premiership before he left Canberra.
Naturally, that did not transpire as Wighton was involved in an on-field altercation during the Newcastle Knights elimination final, in which the green machine lost a thrilling match.
It’s anyone’s guess whether the Raiders could have realistically expected to square off against the New Zealand Warriors just six days later across the ditch; the Knights most definitely couldn’t.
But that was the last of Wighton’s stay in the capital.
The thing that might have surprised people the most about his choice to leave the green machine was where he was going.
There is some uncertainty regarding Wighton’s actual role on Jason Demetriou’s team, despite the fact that there is no denying his close relationship with Latrell Mitchell, who would have been instrumental in bringing him to the team.
Wighton is more likely to be moved to the centers or even used as a middle forward than to play at five-eighth. Ricky Stuart brought up the idea several times in Canberra in the second half of 2023, but it’s unlikely that Wighton performed any better at either of those positions than he did at five-eighth.
In any case, Wighton will need to adjust to this role quickly if he hopes to be accepted at the Burrow, as Cody Walker will be playing State of Origin in 2023 and signed for the following two seasons.
Whether you approach it from Wighton’s or South Sydney’s point of view, it’s a big decision.
Demetriou will look like a genius if it succeeds. He also needs it in light of South Sydney’s miserable 2023 campaign, in which they managed to miss the finals despite dominating the competition just before the halfway point.
If it doesn’t, Demetriou might end up cleaning out his locker at Redfern—not just as a result of the failure, but also because he and his recruiting team might not have needed to take that particular risk in the first place.
Isaiah Tass didn’t make a lot of mistakes in the 2023 campaign, so it’s a big call.
After going through the systems of the Brisbane Broncos and Canterbury Bulldogs before joining the Rabbitohs, the 24-year-old has now played 39 NRL games for the red and green since making his debut in 2022.
The center made 124 meters per game in 23 of those games, which were played in the 2023 season. He also had 9 tries, 9 try assists, 52 tackle busts, and an impressive tackle efficiency of nearly 90%.
The bottom line is that Tass was reliable for the Rabbitohs during their most difficult moments. Although he lacked the X-Factor that Wighton is anticipated to provide because he aligns himself in a star center combination with Campbell Graham, there is no assurance Wighton will.
Wighton has certainly had success playing center field at the representative level in the past, but in 2024 the Rabbitohs may learn the hard way that age is the enemy of all players.
