Wighton Backs Rabbitohs to Make Statement Against Bulldogs on Good Friday

Jack Wighton says South Sydney are determined to reverse last year's Good Friday loss to Canterbury-Bankstown, with the Rabbitohs centre confident his side's settled roster can help them seize their opportunity this season.

Good Friday Showdown

Jack Wighton has identified the Good Friday clash with Canterbury-Bankstown as one of the biggest games on South Sydney's regular season calendar, with the Rabbitohs eager to avenge last year's loss. The centre acknowledged the significance of the fixture, which traditionally draws huge crowds from both supporter bases.

"The numbers show it, and last year they got us and it'd be good to go back and get one back on them," Wighton said.

The experienced back emphasised that South Sydney will need to match the Bulldogs' grinding style of play. Wighton said Canterbury-Bankstown pride themselves on doing the little things well and taking opponents into deep waters, requiring the Rabbitohs to lift their attention to detail after a scrappy performance in their last outing on the Sunshine Coast.

Wayne's Message After Scratchy Win

Despite recording a victory on the Sunshine Coast two weeks ago, coach Wayne Bennett made his displeasure clear to the playing group. Wighton revealed the team made it hard for themselves with numerous errors and dropped ball, prompting a stern message from the veteran coach.

"We won the game but we done it scrappily, we made it hard for ourselves a lot of dropped ball and that kind of stuff. We know if we do that stuff this week we'll get beat," Wighton explained.

The centre said Bennett's willingness to deliver tough feedback even after victories is something the players appreciate. Wighton noted it's good to hear constructive criticism when winning because it's much harder to process after a loss. The focus this week has been on holding the ball, finishing sets properly, and knowing when to play expansive football versus when to grind through the match.

"Wayne's Wayne, if he can see that we need something he'll tell us no matter how we're feeling about ourselves and that's something we love about it," he said.

Settled Squad Presents Opportunity

Wighton praised Graham's presence on the right edge, noting the versatility of being able to swap positions with another player capable of playing centre. The confidence Graham provides through his communication and work ethic has been invaluable.

"This year's the first time I've played with the whole team really in the last three years, so that's a good feeling," Wighton said. However, he was quick to temper expectations, adding that having everyone back doesn't guarantee success and the team still needs to put performances together week by week. The centre acknowledged that while it's nice to have their strike players and big forwards available each week, the team is focused on living in the moment rather than looking too far ahead.