JACK Wighton is in line to cap a remarkable return from injury after being named on the Canberra Raiders’ bench for Saturday night’s second semi-final against the South Sydney Rabbitohs at ANZ Stadium.
Wighton played his first game in four months last Sunday in the Green Machine’s memorable 39-38 win over the New Zealand Warriors in the Toyota Cup, gifting the team a straight passage to the preliminary finals in a fortnight.
But it looks likely Wighton won’t enjoy the same break as his under 20s teammates.
The Orange CYMS and Bloomfield junior has been drafted into the club’s top squad on a seven-man bench to help cover for the loss of injured centre Jarrod Croker.
Croker, the NRL’s leading point scorer for 2012, fractured his cheekbone late in Canberra’s 34-16 win over the Cronulla Sharks last Sunday and will miss the rest of the 2012 season.
Wighton initially thought his year would be over after damaging ligaments in his big toe in May.