Champion Canberra playmaker Jack Wighton has been spotted meeting Dolphins supercoach Wayne Bennett in Queensland as the race for the hottest property on the NRL open market heats up.

Fox League can confirm Wighton flew to Brisbane on Thursday as the Dolphins upped the ante for his services by tabling a four-year deal to match the Canberra Raiders and South Sydney deals already on the table.

Dolphins recruitment guru Peter O’Sullivan was also in the meeting with the NRL’s 17th team outlining their four-year pitch to the Raiders star.

Wighton will now travel to Sydney where he’ll meet with South Sydney power brokers on Friday to hear the Rabbitohs view on why he should join the 1908 foundation club.

The latest development pits ex-Souths and now Dolphins coach Wayne Bennett against the club he took to the 2021 grand final in the race for Wighton’s signature.

The Bunnies remain confident they can convince Wighton to link with Kangaroo World Cup teammates Latrell Mitchell, Cameron Murray and Campbell Graham for the 2023 season on a four-year deal.

Fox League’s Greg Alexander and Gorden Tallis both believed Souths were still favourites to sign Wighton.

“I’m just going to speculate. I think he’ll go to Souths,” Alexander said on Thursday’s Fox League pre-match coverage.

“... I’m thinking that winning a competition will be more important to Jack than whatever else he’s thinking — money — and his relationship with Cody and Latrell might get him across the line.”

The Raiders have tabled the richest of all three deals worth $4.4 million over four seasons. Canberra have the bye this weekend.