NRL: Canberra Raiders' Jack Wighton's message to critics after South Sydney criticism

The Canberra Raiders star said you build respect with the way you play.

And he sent a clear message he'll get nothing but respect for how he'll finish his time with the Green Machine.

Wighton was a beast in the Raiders' 31-30 golden-point win over the Redcliffe Dolphins at Wagga Wagga on Saturday, breaking down after the game with what he described as "happy emotions".

He'll give the same effort when the Raiders open Magic Round against the Canterbury Bulldogs on Friday. And for the rest of the season, having vowed to give his all in his final games for Canberra.

Wighton has signed a four-year deal to join South Sydney from next year and felt the full glare of the media spotlight as he made his decision to leave the club that's been his whole life.

The 30-year-old was the victim of racial abuse on social media, but put it all aside with a brilliant display against the Dolphins.

He scored a try, and ran and tackled his heart out in a best-on-ground display.

"Anybody who doubted how hard I try (doesn't) know me," Wighton said.

"I don't say it to be a big-noter, but I build respect out of how I play. That doesn't go away no matter the decision [to leave].

"I could play overseas. I could play back home in the country. You build respect by the way you play. That's just the way I play the game."

Wighton said he couldn't possibly put into words how hard it was to make the decision to leave the club he's been at for 14 years.

The Orange junior came up through the Raiders' juniors and has played all of his 226 NRL games for the club.

The pressure that was on the 2020 Dally M Medallist was such it led to an emotional Ricky Stuart reiterating his call for the NRL to bring in a transfer window.

Wighton said he'd been part of the Raiders since he was still at high school and they'd been part of his entire adult life as he started his young family.

"People think they know what the club means to me, but they don't really know," he said.

"It's been my whole life since I left school - even when I was in school. It's been my whole life and 14 years. It's been a big decision and there's been a lot of backlash. It's been tough.

"Then to come out and play with the boys and have fun it was always going to be a little bit emotional, but it's happy emotions, mate, not bad. I loved it.

"Words won't explain how hard it was. Words won't do it justice.

"Everyone sees figures, everyone sees stats, everyone sees all these kind of things, but this is my full life, and words can't sum up how hard it was.

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"I've raised three beautiful kids at this club. I've got a beautiful fiancee. The club's supported me, I've supported the club."

The Raiders have now won three in a row and climbed to 11^th on the ladder after a terrible start to the season.

They have a good opportunity to keep that momentum going against the Bulldogs in Brisbane on Friday.

Canberra's pack was excellent against the Dolphins and their outside backs have found form as well.

Plus they've got pressure from below with young gun Xavier Savage putting in a good showing at fullback in the NSW Cup on Saturday as he continued his return from a broken jaw.

It'll be interesting to see whether Stuart sticks with his winning side or brings Savage into the mix.

Wighton said the NRL was the closest it had ever been - there's just four points separating the top-placed Brisbane Broncos and the Raiders.

"The comp's wide open. This year is the most wide open the comp's ever been," he said.

"Everybody's talking about everything, but nobody's really got an idea. That sums this year up. They wrote us off from the word go and we came out and do that, and we'll keep doing that for the year. There's going to be down days, but we're going to have a lot more good days than we do down. I promise you."

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