The former Orange CYMS and Bloomfield Tigers junior has faith that country rugby league fans will turn up in droves at Carrington Park to support the two clubs this Saturday.

“I can’t wait to get back out home and have a game in the country. I always love the crowds out there and Bathurst has got a good ground at Carrington,” the Raiders fullback said in a Wednesday press conference.

“I think we’ll get a fair few numbers out there. They really do appreciate it when they get a game out there. Giving back to the country a bit is always good.

“We get such a high percentage of country players coming through into the NRL that I reckon we should be getting more games out into country areas.

“Hopefully we get a good support base out there and that the green turns up in numbers.”

Raiders are returning to the scene of another one-point defeat this Saturday.

Last year the Panthers prevailed 19-18 in a great contest at Bathurst.

If the Raiders can’t turn that result around in this year’s visit to Carrington Park then they run the risk of losing touch with the top eight.

The ninth-placed Raiders narrowly have the edge over the Panthers on the ladder, only on point difference, meaning there’s plenty on the line this Saturday. 

Wighton said the Raiders have to be on alert against the men in black, who journey west with a 38-nil win over the Bulldogs under their belt.

“It’s the way the NRL is at the moment. You never know who is going to win week to week. We go into every game knowing it’s going to be a tough battle. Sometimes we get them, sometimes we don’t,” he said.

“Panthers flowed really well against the Bulldogs on the weekend, so it’s going to be another tough game. We’ll have to turn up.”

Wighton rolls up to Bathurst with four tries and four try assists to his name this year.

Raiders will have to buck a trend to claim victory on Saturday – they’ve won just two of their seven away matches this season.