The South Sydney Rabbitohs have entered the race for Raiders superstar Jack Wighton with the club set to make a play for his signature.
Originally reported by The Sydney Morning Herald, the Rabbits are keen to gain Wighton's signature, which will see him finish his NRL career alongside best friend Latrell Mitchell.
Having turned down a player option with the Canberra Raiders, Wighton announced his official retirement from representative football in recent days.
It is understood that Wighton was offered a four-year contract worth $1 million per season by his current club but instead wanted to test the open market.
While multiple teams are looking to land the Australian international, the Raiders and Dolphins have been seen as the most likely suitors.
It will also mark the first time Wayne Bennett and his former assistant Jason Demetriou (now head coach of Souths) are interested in signing the same player.
If he is to join the Rabbitohs, it will create a dominant partnership between Wighton and Latrell Mitchell. Speaking to the Herald yesterday, Wighton admitted Mitchell was one player who was trying to consider not retiring from representative football.
"Ask the majority of the boys in the team, after last year's series I made it obvious that that was the plan," Wighton said to the Sydney Morning Herald.
"I ran it by Latrell and a few of the boys. He still messaged me today, he thought I had been lying. He got up me for telling fibs."
"I still feel like I can play at that level, I think I'm still in my prime and I had family chatting to me about [changing his decision], but I'm very content. I wanted to rally hard for an Australian spot, I achieved that and I got to come home with a World Cup."
"I'm really proud of my representative career and it's something that can never be taken away. It's just I felt that it was time for me to focus on my club footy and try to win a premiership."
The Herald has also written that the Rabbitohs have been contacted for comment but are yet to answer.
