League icon Andrew Johns believes Canberra’s Jack Wighton may have to take a significant pay cut if he wants to achieve his goal of winning a premiership with another NRL club.
The 2020 Dally M Medallist blew the player market wide open on Tuesday when news broke he will explore other options for next season.
Speaking on Wide World of Sports’ Freddy and the Eighth, Johns unpacked Wighton’s motivation to leave Canberra despite being reported to earn $900,000 next season if he stays.
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“There’s talk that he wants to live in Queensland,” Johns said.
“If he wants to win a premiership, he’ll have to take three or four (hundred) thousand dollars.”
On Wide World of Sports’ Six Tackles with Gus podcast, Phil Gould testified to several reasons the 224-game veteran may want to depart.
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“My mail is he has the desire to live in Queensland for some reason,” Gould said.
“He will be looking at the money they’re earning elsewhere, the reports of contracts and what some of the other playmakers will be earning.
“The other one could well be winning a premiership. Maybe he’s getting to the point he doesn’t think it will happen with the Raiders.”
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Johns tipped one team in the premiership window who may have a spot available for Wighton.
“The only one I could really think of of the top teams is if something happens to Luke Keary and he slots in at five-eighth,” he said.
This suggestion was met by sniggers from host Mat Thompson.
“Can you imagine how well that would go down,” he said.
“Well, if Luke Keary doesn’t play,” Johns said.
Keary has suffered a series of concussions of late, sparking talks of early retirement for the 31-year-old Rooster.
Wighton, 30, lost the 2019 grand final with the Raiders, but won the Clive Churchill Medal despite being beaten in the title decider by the Chooks.
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