Jack Wighton's future still appears to be up in the air as contract negotiations at Canberra continue amid a busy off-season for the Orange-born Clive Churchill Medal winner, although the Raiders do still look to be front-runners for his signature.
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Wighton still has one year to go on his contract at Canberra but after a breakout season which included that man-of-the-match grand final effort along with debuts for NSW and Australia, he opted not to take a one-year extension in his favour for the 2021 season.
That was reportedly worth around $750,000 and while the suggestion Wighton wanted out of Canberra was hosed down, he has been free to negotiate with rival clubs for 2021 and beyond since November 1.
It's all about forgetting 2019 and building myself as a player.
- Jack Wighton, on the 2020 season
The Raiders were hopeful of locking up their gun fullback-turned-five-eighth and a number of other off-contract superstars before Christmas or at the very least, as CEO Don Furner said, work on the likes of Wighton, Nic Cotric and skipper Jarrod Croker.
"I'm going to try and catch up with Jack's manager next week. I want to catch him before the Christmas break," Furner told the Canberra Times prior to Christmas.
"We want to work on all three of those guys and get them done before kick off - that's Jarrod, Jack and Nick, and some others too.
"They're all priorities. We know we've got a few off and we'll work through it, like we always do."
It remains to be seen what came of the meeting or whether Furner was able to catch Wighton's manager Matt Rose, who won a Group 10 premiership with Orange CYMS several years ago and has championed his client's versatility after a stunning 2019 campaign.
Wighton, however, has spent a big hunk of his off-season so far in camp, first at an Indigenous leaders camp on the Gold Coast and then in Brad Fittler's extended NSW squad.
He was invited to the former by former NRL premiership-winner George Rose, and was previously a member of the the Indigenous senior players group, but was punted when he ran into trouble with the law in 2018.
The likes of Cody Walker, Latrell Mitchell, Ryan James and Dean Widders were also involved in that camp, and the 26-year-old said the group had 'a time we'll never forget', adding he's hopeful to continue his work helping others through his experience.
"I always help out in my community and it's something I'm really into," Wighton said.
"I've put a lot of time into making sure I can help out wherever I can ... I'm always here to help out with anybody that needs it."
Wighton was joined by Cotric in NSW camp, along with Raiders prop Emre Guler and boom recruit Curtis Scott, who were part of the Emerging Blues squad.
He said he's firmly focused on using the pre-season and the opening rounds of 2020 to once again stake his claim for a spot in the Blues side where, as he did this year, he's quite happy to slot in wherever he's needed rather than in his usual No.6 jersey.
He's made that his own at the Raiders but played off the bench for NSW in game one this year before slotting into the centres for games two and three.
"[The camp is] awesome. It's something that really brings us back together," Wighton said.
"It's a long season and I'm really excited to see the boys.
"It's all about forgetting 2019 and building myself as a player, and worrying about week-in, week-out and we'll go from there.
"I'm there to do a job and if I get that chance I'll be stoked."
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