JACK Wighton remembers the thrill of seeing the City-Country clash at Wade Park in Orange when he was a junior at Orange CYMS and tomorrow he will return the favour to plenty of local juniors as he proudly pulls on the number one for Country at Scully Park.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The Raiders custodian played his first game for the boys from the bush last year in Wagga where Country out- played their City rivals for a 32-22 win after the match ended in a draw at Coffs Harbour the year before although, after City coach Brad Fittler dropped a bombshell at the Group 4 Sportsman’s Dinner on Thursday night, Wighton might only get one more opportunity.
Fittler has been outspoken this week about the importance of the fixture to NSW rugby league and the NRL and went on to say that he had been told that next year’s clash would be the final City v Country fixture.
That is bad news for many Country-raised players but more so the fans who rarely get to see their heroes in action, with only one NRL game played in a regional area so far this season when Wighton’s Raiders went down by one point to the Penrith Panthers in Bathurst last round.
“Country people are still very passionate about rugby league,” Wighton said.
“When we get the games out to those communities they love it.”
For Wighton, the thrill of playing for Country in the country hasn’t waned and doesn’t seem likely to.
“I can’t get enough of it.
“Bush footy players rip in and play tough footy.”
That is exactly the type of game that the Raiders flyer is expecting to see tomorrow as well.
“We are going to push up with the big fellas, get it rolling forward and run off that.”
