Jack Wighton contract: Favourite, biggest threat, smokey to sign Canberra Raiders star

With one phone call to his agent last week, Jack Wighton made himself the highest-profile playmaker on the open market. David Riccio breaks down which clubs are in the mix to sign the Raiders star

Canberra coach Ricky Stuart with Canberra's Jack Wighton after the Canberra Raiders v South Sydney Preliminary NRL Final at GIO Stadium, Canberra.

Raiders star Jack Wighton’s decision to thrust himself on to the open market blindsided Canberra, the game and even his closest supporters.

When the story broke across the News Corp platforms on Tuesday, it reverberated across the code like a mushroom cloud. The impact spread far and wide.

With one phone call to his agent, the 30-year-old made himself the highest-profile playmaker on the open market.

By Tuesday evening, the calls to Wighton’s agent had reached 10 of the 17 clubs.

In reality, only a handful of clubs have the two key ingredients to sign Wighton.

Which is to say, they have $1 million spare in salary cap space and secondly, the cunning willingness to tap a player, or players, on the shoulder to make way for the Test and NSW State of Origin gun.

So let’s cut to the chase and breakdown which clubs are legitimately a shot at signing the 224-game talent.

RAIDERS

The Raiders will go all-in to keep their man and deserve to remain favourites to re-sign him.

Wighton has told Canberra he won’t commit to another club until the Raiders have had their final swing. Wighton joined the Raiders as a 15-year-old, his home now for the past 14 years.

He is settled in Canberra with his young family, they have stuck by him through thick and thin, he enjoys being coached by Ricky Stuart and importantly, Canberra have the $1 million in cap money set aside to keep him for at least another three years.

By staying in green, he can remain at five-eighth, retire a one-club man and finish alongside club legend Jason Croker as the only Raider to play 300 or more first grade games.

Ricky Stuart and the Raiders will go all out to re-sign Jack Wighton. Picture: Phil Hillyard

EELS

Parramatta was one of the first clubs to pick up the phone to Wighton.

Interestingly, Wighton‘s availability on the open market emerged just days after the Eels were reportedly on the hunt for a player with “x factor.’’

Wighton may cost your club big bucks, but which player on the open market can play at the elite level at five-eighth, centre or fullback?

Fans will scratch their heads at how Parramatta could possibly afford Wighton after re-signing Mitchell Moses at $1.2 million. They also have Clint Gutherson and Dylan Brown on massive deals.

Well, centre Waqa Blake, on an estimated $550,000 a season, is off-contract and the club are yet to decide on whether to re-sign the athletic centre.

Bryce Cartwright and Mitch Rein are also off-contract while Josh Hodgson and Bailey Simonsson have options in their deals that could see them get out at the end of this season.

The Eels were one of the first clubs to contact Jack Wighton’s management. Picture: NRL Photos

DOLPHINS

The expansion club leads the race if Wighton wants to take his family to Queensland.

Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett has already declared he wants to meet with Wighton.

What will crush the pursuit of Wighton is if Nelson Asofa-Solomona accepts an offer from the Dolphins.

They just won’t have the money for Wighton.

If NAS rejects the Dolphins, it’s game on for Wighton.

We should know within a week or two.

Wayne Bennett . Picture: Getty Images

BULLDOGS

The smokey of the pack.

This will raise eyebrows, as what the Dogs are missing is firepower in their pack.

Yet could Wighton make the move to lock-forward? Certainly he’s physical and skilful enough.

Imagine the point of difference and creativity Wighton would add with his ability to pass, run or kick at lock, while taking pressure off the Dogs halves.

Before the keyboard warriors start tapping, they should know this.

Isaah Yeo, the game’s best ball-playing lock-forward, began his career in the centres, before making the move to the forwards.

Could a move to New Zealand to join the Warriors appeal to Jack Wighton? Picture: Getty Images

WARRIORS

It’s believed Wighton’s interest in testing the market is to assess whether it’s time he experiences a new environment before his career is over.

There is no more different life experience for Wighton in the NRL than heading to New Zealand.

The Warriors are keen, particularly with Shaun Johnson set to retire at the end of this season.

Key to their chase of Wighton is Andrew McFadden, who was appointed the Warriors GM of recruitment this year.

McFadden, a former Raider, spent the past six seasons with Wighton in Canberra as an assistant coach to Stuart.