NRL Market Watch: John Bateman calls on Wests Tigers to sign Jack Wighton as Dolphins up the ante

A Wests Tigers star has called on his club to roll out the welcome mat for his former teammate Jack Wighton, as the Dolphins ramp up their bid for the Canberra playmaker.

Jack Wighton has decided to test himself on the open market. Picture: Getty

Wests Tigers star recruit John Bateman would roll out the welcome mat at Concord for former Canberra Raiders teammate Jack Wighton.

Wighton, who played alongside Bateman in Canberra’s 2019 grand final outfit, has opted to test the open market for the first time.

The Raiders have already tabled a mega four year deal worth $4.4 million dollars in bid to blow other potential suitors, like the Tigers, Eels and Dolphins, out of contention.

Tigers coach Tim Sheens said last week that there had been no formal talks with Wighton’s management but conceded the club was on the lookout for an experienced playmaker.

The Englishman believes a player of Wighton’s calibre would only strengthen the Tigers’ squad.

John Bateman says the Tigers should roll out the welcome mat to try and land Jack Wighton. Picture: AAP.

“One hundred percent,” Bateman said when asked if would support the club’s pursuit of Wighton.

“He’s a great bloke and if he wants to come here, he can feel free to come here.”

“The better players, you’d take them in your squad.

“I haven’t spoken to him but he’s a very good player.

“I played with him for two years in Canberra, he’s a very good player who’s gone on to play for NSW and obviously won the World Cup last year.

“I’m sure Jack will make the right decision.

“He’s a fantastic player but Jack needs to make the decision based on what he wants.

“I’m sure Jack’s got something in his mind in what he needs to do.

“Jack’s 30-year-old now so this will probably be the biggest (decision) in his career.”

The Tigers made big money offers to Melbourne’s Cameron Munster and Parramatta’s Mitch Moses in a bid to add star power to the side’s halves stocks, but failed to snare either player.

Former Sydney Roosters premiership winner Mitchell Pearce, who is now playing for Catalans in the Super League, was also approached by assistant coach Benji Marshall.

They almost won a grand final together at the Raiders and Bateman thinks former teammate Wighton would be a great fit at the Tigers. Picture: Getty Images.

Halfback Luke Brooks’ deal, which is said to be worth around $1 million dollars in 2023, expires at the end of this year giving the club even more purchasing power.

But for now, Bateman’s focus is solely on helping to get the Tigers off the bottom of the ladder after an 0-5 start to a season, beginning with a much needed victory against Parramatta on Easter Monday.

Long suffering Tigers fans held so much promise for season 2023 after the club made a string of high-profile recruits including Bateman, David Klemmer, Api Koroisau and Isaiah Papali’i.

Bateman, who had a shortened preseason after protracted visa issues back in the UK, urged Tigers fans to stick with the club as the side was ‘building’ towards a turnaround in results.

“I’ve been here five weeks now, it takes time. Time is a big thing. I know for people watching it’s frustrating. It’s frustrating for ourselves, we just need to gel,” Bateman said.

“We need to click, if you watch the game the bounce of the ball is going against us at the moment. Working hard is the thing we need to do, and we’ll continue to do that.”

WAYNE UPS ANTE FOR WIGHTON AS DOLPHINS’ WAR CHEST REVEALED

—Peter Badel

Wayne Bennett has ramped-up his poaching bid to bring NSW Origin ace Jack Wighton to the Dolphins and has rewarded blockbusting back-rower Connelly Lemuelu with a new contract.

News Corp can reveal Bennett has formally contacted Wighton’s management to set up a meeting with the Raiders star in his quest to deliver a marquee playmaker to the Dolphins.

Bennett is on a recruitment-and-retention hunt, with the Dolphins super coach also handing Lemuelu an upgraded deal as the forward prepares to face his former Cowboys club on Friday night in Townsville.

Already contracted to the Dolphins until the end of 2024, Lemuelu has clinched a further 12-month extension as a reward for his eye-catching performances in his first five games for the new franchise.

Now Bennett hopes to inject some strike to his backline as he attempts to convince Wighton to walk away from the Raiders and embark on a fresh NRL chapter at Redcliffe.

Bennett has had preliminary talks with Wighton’s management with a view to setting up a formal meeting in the coming weeks before the former Dally M Medallist makes a definitive call on his future next month.

The Raiders have tabled a revised $4.4 million package (more below) to Wighton but Bennett said he is open to matching Canberra’s latest offer, with the Dolphins possessing a $2 million salary-cap war chest.

Jack Wighton has decided to test himself on the open market. Picture: Getty

“If we thought he was the right fit for the club and brought the things that we need then we would probably pay more than $1 million,” Bennett said of Wighton.

The 30-year-old Wighton would be the perfect strike weapon for a Dolphins side craving some depth and match-winning brilliance in their halves.

Meanwhile, Bennett has rubber-stamped a new deal for the 24-year-old Lemuelu, who has been one of the finds of the 2023 campaign with his powerful running on the edges for the Dolphins.

Rated a mini version of Jason Taumalolo, the 106kg powerhouse scored a crucial try in the Dolphins’ historic first victory over the Roosters in round one and Bennett says Lemuelu has only scratched the surface of his talent.

“He’s a much improved footballer,” Bennett said. “Connelly is still only young, he has a lot of upside and improvement in him.

“He has been good for us. I didn’t know too much about him, but Peter (O’Sullivan, recruitment boss) thought he had a future and he has been tremendous since he got here.

“Connelly can play in the backs but I see him as a back-rower and he has fitted into the group well. He deserved to be rewarded.”

Jack Wighton is hot property on the NRL transfer market. Picture: Getty

Raider for life: Wighton’s $4.4m deal to stay in Canberra

—David Riccio

Canberra have taken a major advantage in their fight to retain representative star Jack Wighton by tabling a monster four-year $4.4 million deal.

The Raiders’ massive offer is designed to blow the rest of the competition out of the water after Wighton confirmed last week that he was taking himself to the open market.

The Green Machine submitted their formal offer to Wighton’s management team on Tuesday.

It is the first indication of just how serious Canberra are in wanting to make Wighton a Raider for life.

The Eels, Bulldogs, Warriors and Dolphins are all interested in adding Wighton to their roster.

Of the four rivals, it’s the Dolphins that have emerged as the greatest threat to the Raiders.

It’s understood a major motivation behind Wighton’s shock decision to potentially leave Canberra after 14-years is to experience a new living environment, particularly in Queensland.

Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett has confirmed his desire to lure Wighton, even suggesting the club would be willing to pay beyond the magical $1 million salary mark.

“If we thought he was the right fit for the club and brought the things that we need then we would probably pay more than $1 million,” Bennett said last week.

The Raiders have put a massive offer on the table for Jack Wighton. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)

The Dolphins remain eager to land a marquee talent after missing out on Newcastle’s Kalyn Ponga and Storm five-eighth Cameron Munster.

In the halves, the Dolphins have Anthony Milford (2024), Kodi Nikorima (2024), Isaiya Katoa (2025) and Sean O’Sullivan (2025) all on-contract.

The Eels, Bulldogs, Warriors are also weighing-up using Wighton at either fullback, centre, five-eighth and even lock, in the firm belief that the NSW State of Origin and Test star can help transform their club into a premiership-contender.

Wighton has played most positions in the backline in his 224-game career. He spent four seasons at fullback at the Raiders before moving to five-eighth in 2019.

All four clubs spent last weekend assessing their salary cap space, while also analysing the prospect of moving players to fit Wighton into their roster.

However, that isn’t the case for Canberra who have the cap space set aside for Wighton.

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart wants Wighton to stay in Canberra. Picture: Mark Nolan/Getty

The big money play and specifically the length of contract – through until the end of 2027 – will make it difficult for rival clubs to compete with.

Wighton would be 34 in the final year of a four-year contract and his Canberra teammates are all hoping he remains a one club man.

The Raiders had made no secret of their intent to go down fighting to keep the playmaker who first arrived at the club as a 15-year-old.

“Jack knows I want him here,’’ Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said last week.

“We look after Jack and his family very well here, so I am at ease with it because I know we do everything we possibly can for Jack and his family.”

Roosters cap squeeze to keep cut-price weapon

—Michael Carayannis

In-form Sydney Roosters winger Jaxson Paulo’s great start to the season may come at a cost with Paulo yet to take up an option on his two year deal.

Paulo joined the Roosters on a two-year contract with the second season an option in his favour. But Paulo has clearly exceeded the minimum wage deal he secured when he left South Sydney at the end of last season.

The 23-year-old has scored five tries in four games and has looked ever reliable at the end of the Roosters’ backline.

Jaxson Paulo has exceeded expectations in just five rounds since joining the Roosters. NRL Imagery

With veteran Daniel Tupou about to sign off on a one-year extension and the Roosters going big to entice Dom Young to the club, Paulo could be on the lookout for his third club in as many years.

Most thought Tupou’s time at the Roosters was going to come to an end this year but the club great will extend his time at the club by at least one more season.

Young bounced back from being dropped last week to score four tries for the Knights. The English flyer agreed to a four-year deal to join the Roosters from next season.

The Roosters have Corey Allan and Billy Smith off-contract from their backline. Smith could ink a short-term deal after an injury-plagued start to his career.

News Corp reported this week that veteran prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves could play another season.

The 34-year-old enforcer is off contract at the end of this season and the Roosters have already used Waerea-Hargreaves’ money to sign Penrith’s Spencer Leniu.

Originally published as NRL Market Watch: John Bateman calls on Wests Tigers to sign Jack Wighton as Dolphins up the ante