Campbell Graham caught in shock fallout as Jack Wighton signs with Souths
Jack Wighton is joining the South Sydney Rabbitohs on a four-year deal starting in 2024.
Questions are being raised about the impact Jack Wighton's signing at South Sydney could have on a number of the NRL club's star-studded squad, including gun centre Campbell Graham. The league world was left stunned in recent days after it emerged that the Rabbitohs were frontrunners to snap up Wighton when his contract with Canberra finishes at the end of the season.
On Tuesday night, Wighton confirmed that he's heading to South Sydney in 2024 on a four-year deal after shunning lucrative offers from the Dolphins and Raiders. The 30-year-old Kangaroos World Cup winner has spent the entirety of his NRL career with the Raiders, but declared recently that he wanted to test himself on the open market.
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Fox League's James Hooper reported that the contract with the Bunnies would be worth around $850,000 per season, or $3.4 million over the course of the four years - a whopping $1 million less than what he could have received to stay at the Raiders. With the Bunnies already boasting a star-studded roster that includes the likes of Latrell Mitchell, Cody walker, Damien Cook and Graham, it's led to questions about how the Rabbitohs could also afford to squeeze another superstar under their salary cap from 2024 onwards.
The Daily Telegraph’s Phil Rothfield says in order to sign Wighton, the Bunnies may be forced to offload a number of players. Rothfield also believes it will complicate Graham's next deal with the club after insisting the 23-year-old has earned a significant pay rise as one of the premier centres in the game.
“What does it mean for Campbell Graham, he’s on $600,000 now and he’s just about the best centre in the game outside Joey Manu," Rothfield said on Sky Sports radio. "His manager believes he will be worth $850,000 next contract, will Souths be able to pay him? I think it’s got a potentially destabilising affect on the Rabbitohs."
Jack Wighton move could have knock-on effect at Rabbitohs
The veteran league reporter says he also has grave fears for Liam Knight's future at the Rabbitohs, and believes the versatile forward will be one of the players the club will have to move on to be able to accomodate Wighton. “This is where I am a little bit concerned about the story, this guy called Liam Knight, you all know the front rower for the Rabbitohs,” Rothfield added.
“I personally think he is the most inspirational story in the game... he’s overcome alcohol, drug and gambling issues and is about to come back from a very serious knee injury that has kept him out for 12 months. He’s off-contract at the end of the year and he’s on about $500,000, he’s a very good front rower but I’m told if Wighton comes they are going to have to tap Liam and say ‘your time’s up mate’.
“I think that’s the really unfortunate thing about these sort of stories, even Lachlan Ilias the young half... not saying they are going to sack him, but if they are going to play all this money for Wighton it doesn’t mean he going to be locked in the centres. So does Cody Walker move to halfback where he virtually plays anyway, he generally takes first pass either side of the ruck. But that would allow Jack to play five-eighth.
While Wighton has had to take a pay cut to move to the Rabbitohs, many agree that his move would further strengthen the club's premiership credentials and give the 30-year-old arguably his best chance of winning a grand final before he retires. “I think at this stage of his career he’s done and won everything, a Clive Churchill Medal, man of the match in Origin, Dally M champion,” Rothfield added. “I just think he doesn’t want to retire without a ring and where’s the best hope of winning a comp and I think that’s South Sydney.”
Souths coach Jason Demetriou confirmed last week that he would be keen to bring Wighton to the club, if they could fit him under the salary cap. "I love Jack and I know he's got a lot of good friends in the club through rep footy," Demetriou said.
"We'll get all the big earners and see what they're willing to do. We'd love to have him here if there was an opportunity to get him here, but we're pretty full on the salary cap as well."
with AAP
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