NRL great PAUL GALLEN will appear on Nine’s 100% FOOTY every Monday night of the NRL season, debating rugby league’s hottest topics alongside Phil Gould and James Bracey. Tune in tonight at 10.20pm (AEST) following a bumper round seven!
I have to admit I was surprised when someone told me Jack Wighton was retiring from representative football.
While a player stepping down from rep duty to focus on their NRL career is not unheard of, doing it at 30 years of age is certainly rare.
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I can remember one other New South Wales player doing it in my time, and that was champion centre Jamie Lyon.
I myself retired from State of Origin duties before my NRL career had finished, but I was much older than Wighton is now.
So was Cameron Smith when he told Queensland coach Kevin Walters not to pick him ahead of the 2018 series. He was 35 years old and already had 42 Origin games under his belt.
I’d be keen to hear the real story from Wighton himself, but if it’s true it is definitely unusual.
It’s also disappointing, in a way, because Wighton is a player who is deadset made for the State of Origin arena.
There are many great players in our game but there’s a handful who you look at and go; yeah, he needs to play Origin.
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Jack has never let the Blues down once in his 10 games at that level. You could chuck him anywhere on the field and he would do a job for you, and do it well.
He is very tough, he’s a big body for a back, he’s fast and has all the skills.
He also has that intimidation factor that not many players have. Guys like Jared Waerea-Hargreaves possess it, but Wighton might be the only outside back who can intimidate opposition.
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The irony of all this is, however, that Wighton might just make Brad Fittler’s job easier by making himself unavailable for selection.
At the moment it appears the Blues have an embarrassment of riches, in the backline especially.
Even with Josh Addo-Carr out injured, NSW selectors have plenty of elite talent to choose from.
Last week on 100% Footy I suggested Wighton could play at centre, and Tom Trbojevic move to a wing.
I don’t think that would have happened, and it was only an idea, but that just highlights how spoiled Freddy and his selectors are this year.
The other spot I could have fitted Wighton into my Blues team was on the bench.
But I think these days you want to pick two hookers for the Origin arena, given how tough and gruelling the games are through the middle.
There aren’t many hookers who could survive 80 minutes of Origin. Smith obviously could do it, but he was a special player, so it’s unfair to compare anyone to that.
I get the feeling Freddy and the selectors will want a spare hooker on the bench, so Damien Cook and Api Koroisau will no doubt share the duties.
Queensland have found the right formula with Ben Hunt and Harry Grant switching, and the Blues have the guys who can do the same job for us.
The other contender in that mix is Reece Robson from North Queensland.
The Cowboys haven’t been travelling too well this season, but Robson looks a solid player and has the kind of game that would stand up in the Origin arena.
There are still five weeks left for players to stake a claim so I’d expect some big performances from guys hoping to grab a Blues jumper.
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