Jack Wighton biting incident: Canberra Raiders star referred straight to judiciary

Liam O'Loughlin

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Jack Wighton biting incident: Canberra Raiders star referred straight to judiciary image

Jack Wighton could be set for a stint on the sidelines at the start of next season, with the departing Raiders star referred straight to the NRL's judiciary for an alleged biting incident against Newcastle on Sunday afternoon.

The 30-year-old is set to move to South Sydney in 2024, but in his final game for Canberra, the star centre found himself in hot water after Tyson Gamble made an on-field complaint to the officials.

Given the nature of the incident, Ashley Klein placed Wighton on report at the time but did not penalise the Raiders or send the former NSW and Australian centre from the field. 

The most recent biting incident in the NRL took place three years ago, with former Titans star Kevin Proctor suspended for four matches, while NRLW star Ashleigh Werner copped a two-game ban earlier this year. 

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Jack Wighton referred to judiciary following alleged biting incident

In the second-half of a chaotic extra-time loss to the Knights, Gamble immediately grabbed his arm after completing a tackle on Wighton and showed the mark on his arm. 

Watch the Jack Wighton bite on Tyson Gamble below. 

During the coverage on Fox League, the likes of Michael Ennis and Corey Parker both admitted the evidence didn't look good for Wighton and claimed he should have been sent off by the referee. 

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart refused to delve into the incident, but hopes it didn't take away from the entertaining back-and-forth contest.

“They are all allegations, and I hope that great game of football isn’t overshadowed in the media by that," he said. 

Will Jack Wighton be suspended for biting?

The last biting incident in the NRL occurred in 2020 when the aforementioned Kevin Proctor was handed a four-game suspension after being found guilty by the judiciary.

Wighton will likely miss at least the same amount of games next year for the Rabbitohs if found guilty.

Liam O'Loughlin

Liam O'Loughlin Photo

Liam has been with The Sporting News since 2019, helping lead both NRL and cricket content, as well as delving into the world of combat sports and NFL. A true rugby league tragic, he has spent the past 20 years playing, coaching and volunteering for his beloved junior club, Penshurst RSL. 

Away from work, Liam has a lifelong passion for all things pro wrestling and has travelled abroad to attend showcase events for WWE, AEW and NJPW.