Jack Wighton
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Jack Wighton (born 4 February 1993) is an Australian professional
rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...
footballer who plays as a for the
South Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club, also known as the South Sydney Rabbitohs, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Maroubra, New South Wales, Maroubra that competes in the Nat ...
in the
National Rugby League The National Rugby League (also known as the NRL Telstra Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria (state), Victoria, the Austral ...
(NRL) and for the Indigenous All Stars. Wighton previously played for the
Canberra Raiders The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugb ...
, with whom he won the
Clive Churchill Medal The Clive Churchill Medal is the award given to the player judged to be man-of-the-match in the National Rugby League's annual Grand Final. The award was created to honour Clive Churchill, one of the greatest rugby league players in Australia ...
in the
2019 NRL Grand Final The 2019 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2019 National Rugby League season and was played at Sydney's ANZ Stadium. The match was contested between defending premiers the Sydney Roosters and the Canberra ...
, playing as a . Wighton played for Australia at international level, playing in the 2022 Rugby League World Cup Final. He played for
New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...
in State of Origin as a bench utility, and . He represented the
Prime Minister's XIII Prime Minister's XIII, or sometimes informally referred to as the PM's XIII, a representative rugby league team, comprising Australian players from National Rugby League clubs that did not qualify for the NRL Finals, or whose teams were knocked ...
as a and for
Country Origin The Country New South Wales rugby league team is a representative rugby league football team. Between 1987 and 2017 there were two tiers: the Origin team that consisted of professional players who originated from clubs of the Country Rugby Leagu ...
as a and . Wighton started his NRL career as a er before moving to , and . He won the 2020 Dally M Medal playing for the Raiders.


Background

Wighton was born in
Orange, New South Wales Orange is a city in the Central Tablelands region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney on a great circle at an altitude of . Orange had an urban population of 41,920 at the 2021 Australia Census, 2021 Cens ...
,
Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
. He is
Wiradjuri The Wiradjuri people (; ) are a group of Aboriginal Australian people from central New South Wales, united by common descent through kinship and shared traditions. They survived as skilled hunter-fisher-gatherers, in family groups or clans, a ...
on his mother's side, and his family are from Peak Hill (Bulgandramine Mission) and Wellington, New South Wales. Other rugby league players that Wighton is related to include
Brent Naden Brent Naden (born 30 December 1995) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a and er for the Wests Tigers in the National Rugby League (NRL). Naden previously played for the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, and the Pe ...
,
Willie Tonga Villiami Sione "Willie" Tonga (born 8 August 1983), also known by the nickname of ”Willie", is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who last played for the Leigh Centurions in the Super League. An Australia international ...
, and
Latrell Mitchell Latrell Mitchell (''né'' Goolagong; born 16 June 1997) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the National Rugby League (NRL). He has also represented both New South Wales rugby ...
. Wighton played his junior football for Orange CYMS and Bloomfield Tigers before being signed by the
Canberra Raiders The Canberra Raiders are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the national capital city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. They have competed in Australasia's elite rugby league competition, the National Rugb ...
. He played for the Werribee Centrals Football Club reserves sides. Wighton left his job as a brickie's labourer to pursue a career in football.


Playing career


Early career

Wighton has represented NSW Under 18s and Australian Schoolboys in 2010. Wighton played for the Raiders
NYC New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive wit ...
team in 2011 before being promoted to the Raiders full-time NRL squad.


2012

In Round 2 of the
2012 NRL season The 2012 NRL season was the 105th season of professional rugby league club competition in Australia, and the first run by the newly formed Australian Rugby League Commission. The main competition, called the 2012 NRL Telstra Premiership due to spon ...
, Wighton made his
NRL The National Rugby League (also known as the NRL Telstra Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria (state), Victoria, the Austral ...
debut for the Canberra Raiders against the
Gold Coast Titans The Gold Coast Titans are a professional rugby league football club, based on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. The club competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership, Australia's elite rugby league competition. Since 2008, the ...
, having an impressive debut match on the in the Raiders 24–12 win at
Robina Stadium Robina Stadium, commercially known as Cbus Super Stadium, is a multi-purpose rectangular stadium in Robina, a suburb of Gold Coast, Queensland. It is the home ground to the National Rugby League's Gold Coast Titans, this venue sometimes hos ...
. In round 6, against the
New Zealand Warriors The Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as the Aucklan ...
, Wighton scored his first NRL try in the Raiders 32–12 win at
Canberra Stadium Canberra Stadium, commercially known as GIO Stadium Canberra, is a facility primarily used for rugby league and rugby union games, located adjacent to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, the capital of Australia. It is the largest sp ...
. On 30 May 2012, Wighton suffered a toe injury in a freak trampoline accident which resulted in him missing most of the year, until he made a return in the semi-final match against the
South Sydney Rabbitohs The South Sydney District Rugby League Football Club, also known as the South Sydney Rabbitohs, is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Maroubra, New South Wales, Maroubra that competes in the Nat ...
in the Raiders 38–16 loss at
ANZ Stadium Stadium Australia, currently known as Accor Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the suburb of Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The stadium, which is sometimes referred to as Sydney Ol ...
. On 22 August 2012, Wighton extended his contract with the Raiders until the end of the 2014 season. Wighton finished his debut year in the NRL with him playing in 9 matches and scoring 2 tries for the Raiders in the
2012 NRL season The 2012 NRL season was the 105th season of professional rugby league club competition in Australia, and the first run by the newly formed Australian Rugby League Commission. The main competition, called the 2012 NRL Telstra Premiership due to spon ...
.


2013

On 9 February 2013, Wighton was selected to play for the Indigenous All Stars off the interchange bench in the 32–6 win over the
NRL All Stars team The NRL All Stars team was a rugby league football team made up of professional players in the National Rugby League. These players were selected by fan vote. However, fans were only allowed to select one player from each NRL team to join the Au ...
at
Suncorp Stadium Brisbane Stadium (Lang Park), currently known as Suncorp Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in the suburb of Milton, Queensland, Milton, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Nicknamed The Cauldron, it is a three-tiered rect ...
. Wighton was also selected to play for NSW Country at centre against NSW City in Country's 18–12 win in
Coffs Harbour Coffs Harbour, locally nicknamed Coffs, is a coastal city on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales, Australia, north of Sydney, and south of Brisbane. It is one of the largest urban centres on the North Coast, with a population of 78,759 a ...
. Wighton finished the
2013 NRL season The 2013 NRL season was the 106th season of professional rugby league club competition in Australia. The National Rugby League's main competition, named the 2013 Telstra Premiership after major sponsors Telstra Corporation, was contested by sixt ...
with him playing in 18 matches and scoring 4 tries for the Raiders. On 1 November 2013 Wighton re-signed with the Raiders until the end of 2016.


2014

Wighton started the season playing at five-eighth by incoming Raider coach
Ricky Stuart Ricky John "Sticky" Stuart (born 7 January 1967) is an Australian professional rugby league football coach who is the head coach of Canberra in the National Rugby League (NRL) and a former rugby league footballer who played as a in the 1980 ...
. On 4 May 2014, Wighton played at centre for NSW Country against NSW City in the 26-26 all draw. In Round 10 against the
Penrith Panthers The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Greater Western Sydney suburb of Penrith, New South Wales, Penrith that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL). The team is based west of the cen ...
, Wighton returned to his preferred centre position in the Raiders 26–20 loss at
Canberra Stadium Canberra Stadium, commercially known as GIO Stadium Canberra, is a facility primarily used for rugby league and rugby union games, located adjacent to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, the capital of Australia. It is the largest sp ...
. Wighton played at centre until Round 24, when he was selected to play at fullback for a clash with the
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks are an Australian professional rugby league club based in the Sutherland Shire of Southern Sydney, Southern Sydney, New South Wales. Cronulla compete in the National Rugby League (NRL), Australasia's premier rugb ...
. He had a successful match, helping the Raiders to a 22–12 win at
Shark Park Endeavour Field, known colloquially as Shark Park or Sharks Stadium, is a rugby league stadium in the southern Sydney suburb of Woolooware, New South Wales, Australia. It is the home ground of the Cronulla-Sutherland Rugby League Club, which re ...
. Wighton had a successful end of the season at fullback for the Raiders. Wighton finished the
2014 NRL season The 2014 NRL season was the 107th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 17th season of the National Rugby League in Australia and New Zealand. The season started in New Zealand, for the Auckland Nines, replacing the Rugby Leagu ...
having played in 20 matches and scored 6 tries. On 9 September 2014, Wighton was selected in the
Australia Kangaroos The Australian national rugby league team, the Kangaroos, have represented Australia in senior men's rugby league football competitions since the establishment of the game in Australia in 1908. Administered by the Australian Rugby League Comm ...
2014 Four Nations train-on squad but didn't make the final 24-man squad.


2015

On 13 February 2015, Wighton was selected on the interchange bench for the Indigenous All Stars in the 2015 All Stars match. The Indigenous side won 20–6 over the NRL All Stars at
Robina Stadium Robina Stadium, commercially known as Cbus Super Stadium, is a multi-purpose rectangular stadium in Robina, a suburb of Gold Coast, Queensland. It is the home ground to the National Rugby League's Gold Coast Titans, this venue sometimes hos ...
. On 3 May 2015, Wighton played for New South Wales Country against New South Wales City in the 2015
City vs Country Origin City vs Country Origin was an annual Australian rugby league football match that took place in New South Wales between City and Country representative sides. The City side represented the Sydney metropolitan area. While technically it was Syd ...
match, playing at centre and scoring a try in Country's 34–22 win at
Wagga Wagga Wagga Wagga (; informally called Wagga) is a major regional city in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, with an urban population of more than 57,003 as of 2021, it is an important agricultural, m ...
. In Round 25 against the
Penrith Panthers The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Greater Western Sydney suburb of Penrith, New South Wales, Penrith that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL). The team is based west of the cen ...
, Wighton was charged with a grade two careless high tackle after he blindsided Panthers halfback
Jamie Soward Jamie Soward (born 13 November 1984) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer, and the former head-coach of St. George Illawarra Dragons Women in the NRLW. A New South Wales State of Origin and Indigenous All-Stars rep ...
, following a break downfield. The hit left Soward unconscious and he had to be assisted off the field on a stretcher during the Raiders 34–18 win at
Canberra Stadium Canberra Stadium, commercially known as GIO Stadium Canberra, is a facility primarily used for rugby league and rugby union games, located adjacent to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, the capital of Australia. It is the largest sp ...
. He was later suspended for a match, missing out in the Raiders last match of the season. Wighton finished the
2015 NRL season The 2015 NRL season was the 108th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 18th season of the National Rugby League in Australia and New Zealand. The season started in New Zealand with the annual Auckland Nines, which was followe ...
having played in 20 matches and scoring 7 tries for the Raiders. On 26 September 2015, Wighton played for the
Prime Minister's XIII Prime Minister's XIII, or sometimes informally referred to as the PM's XIII, a representative rugby league team, comprising Australian players from National Rugby League clubs that did not qualify for the NRL Finals, or whose teams were knocked ...
against
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...
, scoring a try in the 40–12 win in Port Moresby.


2016

On 13 January 2016, Wighton was named in the emerging New South Wales Blues squad. On 13 February 2016, Wighton played for the Indigenous All Stars against the World All Stars, playing off the interchange bench in the 12–8 loss at Suncorp Stadium. On 8 May 2016, Wighton played for Country Origin against City Origin, where he played at fullback in the 44–30 loss in Tamworth. On 8 September 2016, Wighton was very lucky to escape a 3-week suspension for a shoulder charge in which he did on
Wests Tigers The Wests Tigers is an Australian professional rugby league football team, based in the Inner West of Sydney and South Western Sydney. The Tigers have competed in the National Rugby League (NRL) since being formed at the end of the 1999 N ...
player Joel Edwards in Round 26 in the 52-10 thumping win at
Leichhardt Oval Leichhardt Oval is a rugby league and soccer stadium in Lilyfield, New South Wales, Australia. It is currently one of three home grounds for the Wests Tigers National Rugby League (NRL) team, along with Campbelltown Stadium and Western Syd ...
. The suspension could have ruled out Wighton from all the Raiders 3 finals matches and ended his season early. Wighton finished the
2016 NRL season The 2016 NRL season was the 109th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 19th season run by the National Rugby League. The season started in New Zealand with the annual Auckland Nines, and was followed by the All Stars Match, ...
with him playing 26 matches and scoring 8 tries for the Raiders.


2017

On 10 February 2017, Wighton played for the Indigenous All Stars against the
World All Stars The NRL All Stars team was a rugby league football team made up of professional players in the National Rugby League. These players were selected by fan vote. However, fans were only allowed to select one player from each NRL team to join the Au ...
in the 2017 All Stars match, starting at fullback in the 34–8 win at
Hunter Stadium Newcastle International Sports Centre, currently known as McDonald Jones Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose sports stadium located in Newcastle, New South Wales, Newcastle, Australia. The ground is home to the Newcastle Knight ...
. In Round 7 against the
New Zealand Warriors The Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as the Aucklan ...
, Wighton played his 100th NRL career match in the 20–8 win at
Canberra Stadium Canberra Stadium, commercially known as GIO Stadium Canberra, is a facility primarily used for rugby league and rugby union games, located adjacent to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, the capital of Australia. It is the largest sp ...
. On 23 May 2017, Wighton extended his contract with the Raiders to the end of the 2020 season. Wighton finished the
2017 NRL season The 2017 NRL season was the 110th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 20th season run by the National Rugby League. The season started in New Zealand with the annual Auckland Nines, and was followed by the All Stars Match, ...
with him playing in 23 matches and scoring 7 tries for the Raiders.


2018

On 28 June 2018, Wighton was stood down by Canberra after admitting in court to assault and urinating in public during a Canberra night out earlier in the year. On 9 July, Wighton was suspended by Canberra for six matches but elected not to terminate his contract regardless of the outcome of the court case hearing. On 13 July, The NRL who were unhappy with the suspension Canberra handed down to Wighton, increased his suspension to ten matches, which put him out for the rest of the season, plus a monetary fine of $30,000. Wighton ultimately avoided jail time. He finished the
2018 NRL season The 2018 NRL season was the 111th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 21st season run by the National Rugby League. The main competition, known as the 2018 Telstra Premiership due to sponsorship from Telstra, featured 16 team ...
having played in thirteen matches and scoring three tries.


2019

In round 5 of the
2019 NRL season The 2019 NRL season was the 112th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 22nd season run by the National Rugby League. The Sydney Roosters became the first team to win back-to-back Premierships since the Brisbane Broncos in 1992 ...
against the
Parramatta Eels The Parramatta Eels are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Sydney suburb of Parramatta that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL). The Parramatta District Rugby League Football Club was formed in 1947, and ...
, Wighton scored a try from a Sam Williams cross field kick in the 61st Minute to seal Canberra's fourth win of the season whilst also solidifying Wighton's position as five-eighth of the side. On 5 June, Wighton made his State of Origin debut off the bench for New South Wales in game 1 of the
2019 State of Origin series The 2019 State of Origin series was the 38th State of Origin series, annual best-of-three series between the Queensland rugby league team, Queensland and New South Wales rugby league team, New South Wales rugby league teams. Before this series, ...
at
Suncorp Stadium Brisbane Stadium (Lang Park), currently known as Suncorp Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium in the suburb of Milton, Queensland, Milton, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Nicknamed The Cauldron, it is a three-tiered rect ...
. In the 56th minute, Wighton was interchanged for Cody Walker at five-eighth, he then went on to throw an intercept pass for
Dane Gagai Dane Gagai () (born 3 January 1991) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the Newcastle Knights in the National Rugby League, the Queensland Maroons in the State of Origin series and the Māori All Stars.. H ...
to run the length of the field and score in the 67th minute of the game. New South Wales would go on to lose the game 18–14. On 16 June, Wighton was a shock selection at centre replacing
Latrell Mitchell Latrell Mitchell (''né'' Goolagong; born 16 June 1997) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the National Rugby League (NRL). He has also represented both New South Wales rugby ...
for New South Wales for game 2 in Perth. New South Wales went on to win the game 2 38–6. On 10 July, Wighton was part of the Origin decider for New South Wales at left centre in which New South Wales won 26–20 at
ANZ Stadium Stadium Australia, currently known as Accor Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the suburb of Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The stadium, which is sometimes referred to as Sydney Ol ...
. In round 22, Wighton played his 150th NRL game for Canberra in their 18–22 win over the
Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm is a rugby league football club based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia that participates in the National Rugby League (NRL). The club plays its home games at AAMI Park, and wears a purple and navy blu ...
at
AAMI park The Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, currently known as AAMI Park for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the Melbourne Sports and Entertainment Precinct in the suburb of East Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria (state), Victor ...
. Wighton made a total of 26 appearances for Canberra as the club reached their first grand final in 25 years. In the
2019 NRL Grand Final The 2019 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2019 National Rugby League season and was played at Sydney's ANZ Stadium. The match was contested between defending premiers the Sydney Roosters and the Canberra ...
against the
Sydney Roosters Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club, known as the Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Eastern Suburbs. The club competes in the National Rugby Lea ...
, Wighton scored a try in the first half. Canberra would go on to lose the final 14–8 at
ANZ Stadium Stadium Australia, currently known as Accor Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium located in the suburb of Sydney Olympic Park, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The stadium, which is sometimes referred to as Sydney Ol ...
. Wighton was awarded the
Clive Churchill Medal The Clive Churchill Medal is the award given to the player judged to be man-of-the-match in the National Rugby League's annual Grand Final. The award was created to honour Clive Churchill, one of the greatest rugby league players in Australia ...
after being voted man of the match, making him the fourth man to achieve this from a losing side, joining Canberra's
Bradley Clyde Bradley Clyde (born 27 January 1970) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s who, at the peak of his playing career was widely acknowledged as the best in the game. He represented b ...
(1991), St George's Brad Mackay (1993) and Manly's
Daly Cherry-Evans Daly Cherry-Evans (born 20 February 1989) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who captains and plays as a for the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in the National Rugby League. Regarded as one of the best halfbacks of the modern ga ...
(2013). On 7 October, Wighton was named in the Australian side for the upcoming
Oceania Cup The Oceania Cup is an international men's field hockey competition organised by Oceania Hockey Federation (OHF). It is held every two years to determine which teams will receive an automatic berth to the Men's FIH Hockey World Cup and Summer Olym ...
fixtures.


2020

In round 16 of the
2020 NRL season The 2020 NRL season was the 113th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 23rd season run by the National Rugby League. Teams The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 14th consecutive year. ; Notes : : : Pre-season ...
, Wighton scored two tries in a 34–20 victory over Canterbury-Bankstown at
GIO Stadium Canberra Stadium, commercially known as GIO Stadium Canberra, is a facility primarily used for rugby league and rugby union games, located adjacent to the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra, the capital of Australia. It is the largest sp ...
. In round 18 against St. George, he scored two tries in a 37–8 victory for Canberra at
WIN Stadium Wollongong Showground, known as WIN Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Wollongong, Australia. The stadium was officially opened in 1911. From 1982 until 1998 it played host to every home match for the Illawa ...
. Wighton was rewarded for a stellar home and away season by being named joint Meninga Medal winner with
Josh Papalii Joshua Papali'i (born 13 May 1992) is a professional rugby league footballer who plays as a forward for the Canberra Raiders in the National Rugby League. He has played for both Australia national rugby league team, Australia and Samoa nationa ...
, having finished on atop the voting for the club's player of the year award at a subdued in-house ceremony. Wighton also took home the Dally M Medal as the NRL's player of the year after polling 26 votes to edge out
Clint Gutherson Clinton Gutherson (born 9 September 1994) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for and is the co-captain of the St. George Illawarra Dragons the National Rugby League. He previously played for the Parramatta Ee ...
and
Nathan Cleary Nathan Cleary (born 14 November 1997) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who captains and plays as a for the Penrith Panthers in the National Rugby League and plays for New South Wales rugby league team, NSW Blues in State o ...
. There was controversy around the announcement after the Daily Telegraph published the results hours before the ceremony took place. Wighton was selected for the
2020 State of Origin series The 2020 State of Origin series was the 39th State of Origin series, annual best-of-three series between the Queensland rugby league team, Queensland and New South Wales rugby league team, New South Wales rugby league teams. Before this series, Q ...
but was played out of position in the centres by New South Wales coach
Brad Fittler Bradley Scott Fittler (born 5 February 1972), also known by the nickname of "Freddy", is an Australian rugby league commentator, television presenter, and former player. Fittler captained both New South Wales rugby league team, New South Wales ...
. Wighton played in all three games for New South Wales as they suffered a shock 2–1 defeat against Queensland.


2021

In round 10 of the
2021 NRL season The 2021 NRL season was the 114th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 24th season run by the National Rugby League. Teams The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 15th consecutive year. Regular season Ladd ...
, Wighton was sent to the sin bin after using an illegal cannonball tackle on Canterbury player Adam Elliott during the club's 20–18 victory. On 30 May, Wighton was selected by New South Wales for game one of the
2021 State of Origin series The 2021 State of Origin series was the 40th annual best-of-three series between the Queensland and New South Wales rugby league teams. Before this series, Queensland has won 22 times, NSW 15 times, with two series drawn. The venue for Game 1 w ...
despite his poor form at club level for Canberra. Wighton played 21 games for Canberra in the
2021 NRL season The 2021 NRL season was the 114th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 24th season run by the National Rugby League. Teams The lineup of teams remained unchanged for the 15th consecutive year. Regular season Ladd ...
which saw the club finish a disappointing 10th place on the table.


2022

On 29 May, Wighton was selected by New South Wales to play in game one of the
2022 State of Origin series The 2022 State of Origin series was the 41st State of Origin series, annual best-of-three series between the Queensland rugby league team, Queensland and New South Wales rugby league team, New South Wales rugby league teams. Before this series, Q ...
. In October, he was named in the Australia squad for the
2021 Rugby League World Cup The 2021 Rugby League World Cup (RLWC2021) was a collection of world cups in the sport of rugby league, held in England from 15 October to 19 November 2022. England won hosting rights for the competition on 27 October 2016. The bid received ...
. Wighton played for Australia in their 2021 Rugby League World Cup final victory over Samoa.


2023

On 5 February, it was alleged that Wighton who was out celebrating his 30th birthday became involved in a fight with South Sydney player and Australian teammate
Latrell Mitchell Latrell Mitchell (''né'' Goolagong; born 16 June 1997) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a for the South Sydney Rabbitohs in the National Rugby League (NRL). He has also represented both New South Wales rugby ...
. Witnesses saw the pair allegedly fight in the Canberra CBD outside a nightclub on Bunda Street at 3:45AM and called police. ACT Police subsequently charged Wighton with fighting in a public place and failing to comply with an exclusion direction. Wighton was ordered to attend ACT Magistrates Court on 22 February 2023 regarding the incident. He pleaded not guilty, and the case was adjourned to 30 October 2023. In round 4 of the
2023 NRL season The 2023 NRL season was the 116th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 26th season run by the National Rugby League. The season consisted of 27 competition rounds, the longest in league history, followed by a finals series ...
, Wighton scored a try and was also sent to the sin bin during Canberra's 24–14 loss against Newcastle. On 18 April, Wighton announced his retirement from representative rugby league. On 26 April, it was announced that Wighton had signed with South Sydney from 2024 on a four-year deal. Wighton played his last game for Canberra in their 28-30 extra time elimination final loss to the
Newcastle Knights The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league team based in Newcastle, New South Wales that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, the Knights joined the top-tier competition in New ...
. Placed on report for an alleged bite on Tyson Gamble but not penalised during the match, Wighton was later found guilty and suspended for three matches.


2024

In round 3 of the
2024 NRL season The 2024 NRL season was the 117th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 27th season run by the National Rugby League (NRL). The season consisted of 27 competition rounds, followed by a finals series contested by the top eight ...
, Wighton made his club debut for South Sydney in their 48-6 loss against arch-rivals the Sydney Roosters. The following week, Wighton scored two tries for South Sydney in their 20-16 victory over Canterbury. In round 18, Wighton scored two tries for South Sydney in their 32-16 victory over
Parramatta Parramatta (; ) is a suburb (Australia), suburb and major commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney. Parramatta is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district, Sydney CBD, on the banks of the Parramatta River. It is co ...
. Wighton played 21 games for South Sydney in his first season at the club as they finished second last on the table.


Honours

Individual * Dally M Medal: 2020 * Clive Churchill Medal: 2019 * Dally M 5/8 of the Year: 2020 Canberra Raiders * NRL Premiership Runners-Up: 2019 NSW Blues * State of Origin: 2019, 2021 Australia * Rugby League World Cup: 2021


Statistics


Assault charges

In February 2018, Wighton assaulted five people outside a nightclub while celebrating his birthday in Canberra, and was charged for a number of offences including assault and public urination, which he initially pleaded not guilty to until prosecutors said they were prepared to produce CCTV evidence. In June, Wighton pleaded guilty to six charges in the ACT Magistrates Court, including assault and public urination, while prosecutors dropped the remaining charges. In July, Wighton was suspended by the Raiders for six matches, but the club confirmed his contract would not be terminated. After viewing the CCTV footage, the NRL extended his suspension until the end of the season, and fined him $30,000. On 14 November, Wighton received a two-month suspended sentence and a $3,500 fine. Magistrate
Bernadette Boss Bernadette Carmel Boss, is a Magistrates Court of the Australian Capital Territory, Magistrate of the Australian Capital Territory, an officer in the Australian Army Reserve and a former barrister. She was appointed as a magistrate on 11 June 2 ...
noted his positive character references and existing punishment from the NRL. Following sentencing, the footage of Wighton in urine-soaked trousers launching unprovoked attacks on five different passers-by was released to the media.


References


External links


Canberra Raiders profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wighton, Jack 1993 births Living people Australia national rugby league team players Australian rugby league players Canberra Raiders players South Sydney Rabbitohs players Clive Churchill Medal winners Country New South Wales Origin rugby league team players Indigenous All Stars players Junior Kangaroos players New South Wales Rugby League State of Origin players Prime Minister's XIII players Rugby league centres Rugby league fullbacks Rugby league five-eighths Rugby league players from Orange, New South Wales Wiradjuri people 21st-century Australian sportsmen