Canberra fullback Jack Wighton’s immediate NRL playing future remains up in the air as he prepares to face court.
The 25-year-old will front the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday charged with three counts of reckless or intentionally inflicting actual bodily harm, five of common assault, and urinating in a public place.
The maximum penalty for assault occasioning actual bodily harm is a five-year jail sentence.
Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has named Wighton in the starting team to take on Parramatta on Saturday night at GIO Stadium.
Wighton missed Canberra’s win against Canterbury last Thursday night after his partner gave birth to their second child.
Stuart told Fairfax Media that Wighton had been handling the scrutiny surrounding his court case well and had no hesitation in picking him.
“There is a core process we have to adhere to obviously. Jack’s legal team don’t have all the evidence in front of them at the moment,” Stuart said.
“We’ve been in contact with the NRL integrity unit all the way through this process and at no stage have they advised us to stand Jack down.”
Wighton is contracted to the Raiders until the end of the 2020 season and has played 121 NRL games since making his debut in 2012.