Jack Wighton's Rabbitohs deal: Why his Raiders departure is a nightmare

Did the Green Machine's best player really just sacrifice $1 million because he thinks he's a better chance of winning a premiership elsewhere? Did he really walk out on the club that stood by him when no one else would?

He did. And Jack Wighton's decision to turn down a $4.4 million offer from Canberra to instead sign with the South Sydney Rabbitohs is a kick in the guts for the Raiders and their hardcore supporters.

Sure, there's now a warchest of cash for the Raiders to scour the market in search of a superstar to fill Wighton's boots. Some will suggest the Raiders dodged a bullet by not having $1.1 million tied up in a 34-year-old in 2027.

But the grim reality is the Raiders are now in the marquee recruitment market, which is what they were desperately trying to avoid by offering Wighton the biggest deal in the club's history.

Why did they want to avoid it? Because the salary cap is obviously not working, and the NRL owes it to the Raiders and their fans to make sure the Rabbitohs are paying "market value" for Wighton.

Whatever the findings, the contract saga has already reignited the debate about salary transparency and why the big clubs seems to be able to sign the most expensive players.

Wighton was already the highest-paid Raider, but now his departure will trigger a flurry of speculation linking the Canberra to every player seeking to bump up their market value.

The likes of Jerome Luai, Joey Manu, Luke Keary, Dylan Edwards and Matt Moylan, among others, are on the list of players who will come up over the next 12 months.

Whether the Raiders can land one of them in negotiations, though, is the biggest question on the table as they face the prospect of having to pay over asking price to make living in Canberra more attractive.

MORE CANBERRA SPORT

Then again, the Dolphins are proof big-money offers and sunny weather can't deliver marquee men after missing out on Wighton and every other big name they've targeted over the past 12 months.

With another expansion team on the NRL's radar, the competition for the best players is going to be harder than it's ever been and Raiders officials are well aware of the challenge ahead.

The Raiders had hoped transparency would aid their bid to re-sign Wighton, lodging their deal with the NRL to ensure other clubs couldn't get away with manipulating the salary cap and so that everyone knew the club made a strong offer.

In some ways, it worked against them because if Wighton, a man who describes himself as a Raider for life, didn't believe Canberra could win a premiership before 2027, which is what his decision suggest, how do the Raiders convince potential recruits otherwise?

That's why fans are hoping they're reading this as part of their nightmare, not reality.

It took the Raiders 25 years to get back to a grand final when they turned Canberra green four years ago, making the decider for the first time since 1994.

That amazing year in 2019 was the moment of hope. Raiders fans dreamt of a time where their team would be constant premiership contenders, and making a preliminary final the following year added weight to that.

But so much has changed in the blink of an eye. Wighton is on the way out to link with Latrell Mitchell at Souths, Elliott Whitehead is the last Englishman left standing, Jarrod Croker's time in lime green will finish at the end of this season and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad is back at the New Zealand Warriors.

Are we now at the point of the dreaded 'R' word? A rebuild? Rebuilds used to be about giving young players an opportunity and then watching them flourish. Rebuilds are now about who teams can buy to dig them out of a hole.

As pointed to at the weekend, four teams have won 64 per cent of NRL grand finals in the NRL era. It hardly suggests it's an even playing field for teams trying to match it with the likes of Brisbane, Melbourne, the Roosters and Penrith. Just ask the Wests Tigers.

There is a feeling keeping the mythical premiership window open will be much easier than trying to force one open (just ask the Bulldogs and the Wests Tigers after both recruited big, but are still waiting for results).

Not all hope is lost, though. There are green shoots in Canberra that make it feel like they're one missing piece away from something great. Joe Tapine recommitted at the end of last year, Josh Papalii is still leading the forward back and Hudson Young and Corey Horsburgh are future Origin stars.

Xavier Savage gives Canberra X-factor, Matt Timoko and Sebastian Kris are at the start of their back-line journeys and Jamal Fogarty should now have the freedom to run the team the way he wants.

Stuart and his men will want to send a statement when they play the Dolphins in Wagga this weekend. They want to show they mean business, with or without Wighton, and that the future is bright.

In the background, though, player agents are already rubbing their hands together about the prospect of using the Raiders to bump up asking prices.

The speculation will become as annoying as Wighton leaving. As it stands, Wighton is proof the salary cap doesn't work and it's time for the NRL to make a change to ensure this nightmare isn't a recurring theme.

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.