![Jack Wighton played in Canberra's trial loss to the Tigers. Picture Getty Images Jack Wighton played in Canberra's trial loss to the Tigers. Picture Getty Images](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/168198572/79a3c2c6-86c5-4efb-8308-ca4d49dc6cb9.jpg/r0_274_3162_2059_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Canberra Raiders five-eighth Jack Wighton has assured his club and teammates that he intends on leading by example on the footy field, despite his legal drama.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Wighton was unable to comment on his alleged fight with Indigenous All Stars teammate Latrell Mitchell in the early hours of February 5, following his court appearance on Wednesday.
But the Blues utility extinguished any doubts about his focus on leading his club through a successful 2023 season.
"My message is always with actions, and I'm not going to sit here and talk about it, I'm going to show you," he told a media scrum at Raiders HQ.
At ACT Magistrates Court, Wighton pleaded not guilty to fighting in a public place and failing to comply with an exclusion direction, with the pair's next court date not until the end of the season.
Despite Wighton's past alcohol-fuelled controversies, the Kangaroos star said he was "not worried" how the club would react to the incident.
The 30-year-old - who was celebrating his birthday with Mitchell on the night of his arrest - was coy on questions about whether he had considered a booze ban.
![Canberra Raiders' Jack Wighton at training. Picture by Elesa Kurtz Canberra Raiders' Jack Wighton at training. Picture by Elesa Kurtz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/168198572/3b3d1165-5fb6-4191-8392-b6425de75296.jpg/r383_210_3089_1527_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"I don't know, that's personal and between me and the club," he responded.
Wighton was grateful the court date isn't until the post-season, and was adamant it won't be a distraction, telling reporters "the show goes on".
"It gives me full focus on football. We've got a team here and a job to do and we're two weeks out so very excited about the year to start," he said.
In the aftermath of the incident, Wighton and Mitchell released a joint statement expressing remorse for putting themselves in a situation "to embarrass [their] clubs and the NRL", and that they were "sorry" for their "harmless wrestle".
READ MORE:
Wighton was back on the field for the Green Machine last weekend in their 36-4 trial defeat to last year's wooden spooners, Wests Tigers.
It was his first outing since the All Stars game, and though he admitted he and the team were "clunky" in the heavy loss, he's confident they can turn things around in time for their season-opener in Townsville.
"That's the best thing about football - what happened last week doesn't matter," he said. "Thankfully, that wasn't for two points, so we'll knuckle down, we'll get the team sorted and focus on the little things we've got to fix.
"We're focusing on round one in North Queensland," he added. "It's going to be hot and they're going to be tough.
![Jack Wighton appear in ACT courts. Picture by Karleen Minney Jack Wighton appear in ACT courts. Picture by Karleen Minney](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/168198572/d23fb5ff-7765-43b8-9a06-3d2801ceef5e.jpg/r0_586_4256_2827_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
"They're a great side and we've got a lot of improvements to make from the trials.
"But no excuses, we'll go out there and give it a good crack."
Beginning the season on a winning note is crucial for the Raiders, with their first two games in Queensland before they play at home in round three against the Sharks.
A massive slide when injuries began stacking up hurt them last year, forcing an unbelievable winning finish to squeeze into the top eight. In 2023, Wighton wants that finals appearance locked in sooner.
"We let ourselves down with the start of the year [last season], that's why we were a bit disappointed in the trials," he said "A quick start is definitely on the cards."
We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.