Wighton's the boy in blueORANGE junior Jack Wighton will play on the biggest stage of his fledgling rugby league career next Wednesday night when he runs out on to ANZ Stadium for the NSW under 18s side.
Wighton and the Blues will take on the Maroons’ under 18s side as the curtain-raiser for the biggest rugby league match in Sydney this season, State of Origin II.
A star in the Canberra Raiders’ Toyota Cup side at just 18 years of age, Wighton can’t wait for the chance to again don the sky blue.
“It means heaps. It’s going to be a big experience and hopefully everything goes well,” the Orange CYMS and Bloomfield junior said.
“I haven’t played in front of a crowd that big before. It’s going to be exciting.”
The under 18s honour comes on the back of Wighton representing the Australian Schoolboys on their 2010 tour of Europe and running out for NSW in the under 16s level in 2009.
Wighton will be joined by the best young NSW players from the game’s National Youth Competition, along with Parkes Spaceman and Western Rams under 18s captain Sam Coster.
“I’ve played against most of them and with a few other boys in Australian sides,” Wighton said.
“Queensland are going to be awesome. They’re going to be straight out of Brisbane and North Queensland, it’s going to be a big challenge.”
The talented half has been one of Canberra’s best throughout the opening 13 rounds of the 2011 season, helping the Green Machine to six wins and ninth spot on the Toyota Cup ladder.
Wighton is confident his Raiders side, which includes Canowindra junior Haydon Hodge and Cowra prop Shannon Boyd, can push for a place in the semi-finals.
“It’s been really good. It’s good playing outside (NRL halfback) Sam Williams when he is there. But when he is not I just have to step up because we have a pretty young halves pairing,” he said.
“I’m just aiming to be consistent and have a good year with Canberra.”
The NSW under 18s will take on Queensland under 18s as the curtain-raiser to State Of Origin II at ANZ Stadium next Wednesday night.
NSW UNDER 18s: 1 Nesiasi Mataitonga (Cronulla Sharks), 2 Jacob Gagan (Parramatta Eels), 3 David Nofoaluma (Western Suburbs Magpies), 4 Vai Toutai (Parramatta Eels), 5 Pat Mata’Utia Leifi (Newcastle Knights), 6 Curtis Sironen (Wests Tigers), 7 Jack Wighton (Canberra Raiders), 8 David Klemmer (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), 9 Michael Lichaa (Cronulla Sharks), 10 Leilani Latu (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), 11 Kyle Lovett (Balmain Tigers), 12 Jordan Hall (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs), 13 Ben Roose (Newcastle Knights). Bench: 14 Tom Rouse (Newcastle Knights), 15 Sam Coster (Parkes Spacemen, CRL), 16 Michael Steele (Newcastle Knights), 17 Jake Trbojevic (Manly Sea Eagles), 18 Brenden Santi (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs).
Source: Central Western Daily
Topic: Wighton's the boy in blue
