Jack Wighton’s time in the representative arena appears to be over despite New South Wales coach Michael Maguire initially refusing to rule out his return to State of Origin.
Wighton turned his back on rep contention last season as he cited how family matters and his desire to focus on clubland duties took precedence in the final years of his career.
Wighton has often been spoken about as a possible option for Maguire in his first series in charge, however cold water has now been poured on the hopes of Wighton making himself available for Blues selection.
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Will Jack Wighton play State of Origin for NSW Blues in 2024?
"I enjoyed working in Canberra over the last 12 months with Ricky Stuart and the playing group, including Jack," Maguire told SEN's Saturdays in the Capital earlier in the year.
"He’s still retired but I told him to get himself playing and see how he’s travelling."
Wighton left the club he had featured 242 times for since debuting in 2012 to link up with the South Sydney Rabbitohs on a four-year deal.
Maguire acknowledged the five-eighth turned centre was prioritising settling in at the Bunnies but stated he would revisit Wighton’s decision ahead of this year’s Origin series.
"Jack wants to settle himself in Sydney and with his new club," Maguire said.
"We’ll have a discussion as the season transpires. We all know he’s a big game player whenever he’s in that arena.
"In time, I’m sure Jack will decide whether he’s ready to go again."
Wighton was controversially left out of Fittler’s side for the second Origin match in 2022, despite starring in the opening clash only weeks before.
Some reports have stated this selection snub played a major factor in his decision to walk away from the Blues.
However, the player himself attempted to put those rumours of a possible rift between him and Fittler to bed when he told The Daily Telegraph his reasoning behind his rep retirement.
"I want to focus on winning a premiership and having a bit more family time," Wighton said at the time.
"That’s all this is about."
Just two weeks out from the series opener, Channel Nine journalist Danny Weidler confirmed Wighton would not feature for NSW as they sought to snap Billy Slater's winning streak.
LATEST: Just spoke to Jack Wighton - he won't be coming out of rep retirement. @9NewsSyd @NRLonNine
— Danny Weidler (@Danny_Weidler) May 14, 2024
"I’ve been in chats with Madge, but I’ve been trying to put a focus on keeping my body together for Souths," Wighton said.
"As everyone knows, we’re in a bit of a rut, so my main focus is here.
"There are plenty of young kids that will do the Blues proud and do a great job there, so I’ll stick with my position of staying retired and leaving it up to the young fellas to fly the flag."
Jack Wighton State of Origin career
Wighton made his debut for his state in the opening game of the 2019 series and went on to make 10 appearances for NSW, scoring three tries in the process.
He predominantly featured in the centres during that time with a sole game at five-eighth later in his debut Origin series and also three matches off the bench.
His final game for the Blues came on home soil in Game I in 2022 where he starred in a losing side.
However, the display wasn’t enough to warrant selection for the decider after he had been ruled out of Game II through Covid.
In his absence, Matt Burton and Stephen Crichton formed a new-look centre partnership as the Blues levelled the series with a thumping 44-12 victory.
In the third game, Fittler opted to stick with the winning combination as Wighton was listed as 18th man.
The Blues then went on to lose Game III as Wighton finished with a 5-5 win/loss record in Origin.
When is State of Origin in 2024?
The opening game of this year’s series will be held at Accor Stadium in Sydney on June 5.
The second match will then be held in Melbourne at the MCG on June 26, before the action wraps up at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on July 17.
