South Sydney have kept the door slightly ajar for a possible mid-season switch for Jack Wighton as they formally lodged with the NRL not only their contract for Wighton but the nature of their negotiations.
While the Raiders have no immediate desire to move Wighton on, South Sydney would be open to taking their 2024 star recruit on before the June 30 deadline. A player swap is the only way South Sydney could accommodate the move given their 30-man roster is complete. Utility back Blake Taaffe is off-contract at season’s end and is set to be squeezed out of the Rabbitohs because of Wighton’s impending arrival.
The relationship between Raiders coach Ricky Stuart and Wighton will make for interesting viewing in the coming weeks. The Raiders have no walk-up starter to replace Wighton in the halves next year and could use the next period to trial off-contract Brad Schneider alongside Jamal Fogarty. That could push Wighton into the backrow or centre.
