We love the mighty Canberra Raiders
The Raiders have reportedly been left fuming over Jack Wighton’s new deal with rival club the Rabbitohs, with Canberra said to have lodged a formal complaint with the NRL over it.
That is according to News Corp, with a report on Tuesday evening revealing that Raiders bosses had made the complaint to NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo.
Abdo confirmed to News Corp that Wighton’s deal will be looked at.
A comparison of the Raiders and Souths teams reveals that the Raiders have a more potent current squad, more promising juniors, and a more experienced mastermind in Ricky Stuart who has the runs on the board as both a player and a coach.
Ricky Stuart, having won three premierships with the Raiders as a player and one with the Roosters as a coach, certainly knows what winning a comp looks like. Stuart's relatively inexperienced counterpart at the Rabbitohs does not.
Wighton's decision to leave is made even worse when you consider how the Raiders have stuck by Jack through thick and thin. Not only does the excuse of leaving to win a premiership make no sense, it is a huge slap in the face to the Raiders and their supporters.
Jack has the Raiders club and Ricky Stuart to thank for being able to reach his potential, yet after they have stuck with him and made him the player he is today, he turns his back on those who have supported him for over a decade.
Jack deserved a premiership in 2019 and deserves a premiership with the Raiders in 2023, but not when he's at South Sydney beyond that.
The Raiders are staring down the barrell of life without Jack Wighton after the
marquee superstar reportedly signed with the Rabbitohs for 2024.
The 30-year-old has sacrificed $1 million to join South Sydney, shunning the Raiders’ $4.4 million offer and the Dolphins $4 million contract.
Instead Wighton will link up with close friends Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker, hoping to win an elusive premiership in Redfern.