Wighton starred as the Rabbitohs claimed their first win of the season on Good Friday, bagging a double in his second game for his new team against Canterbury.
The Souths centre admitted he had been “embarrassed” by his first-up performance against the Roosters a week earlier, where the Rabbitohs were beaten 48-6.
The loss intensified pressure on under-fire coach Demetriou, as the Rabbitohs fell to a 0-3 start after their capitulation at the end of last season.
By Wighton insisted it (pressure) was largely unfair.
“I feel for him. I’ve been here only recently and he’s a great bloke and a great coach,” Wighton said.
“What he’s copping he don’t deserve. So to get the win for ourselves, but definitely for him, is huge.
“There was no lack of effort. Anybody who says there was a lack of effort, I think, that was just wrong,
“There was a lot of effort, it just wasn’t effort together, and those small areas led to our losses.
Latrell Mitchell is facing a fine of up to $2500 after he was charged for the collision that left Josh Addo-Carr with concussion
“We’ve got a great team that’s been in the wars a little bit, so to get them two points is just a great feeling.”
The Rabbitohs’ slump has been a tough initiation to life in the Sydney spotlight for Wighton.
The former Canberra Dally M winner admitted he had been taken aback by the spotlight on the club, which has regularly attracted back-page headlines for the past month.
“I suppose I see what it means to be at a big club like Souths now,” Wighton said.
“I deleted Instagram off my phone at the beginning of this week so I don’t even know what is going on.
“You’ve got to surround yourself with positive thoughts and positive people, and that’s not where I was at this week, so I just done that.
“Canberra’s got a lot of beautiful history, but Souths is the oldest club in the NRL and it is based in the middle of Sydney.
“So that comes with the territory, that type of pressure to perform.”
Wighton’s double gave Souths a glimpse of what can be done on their dangerous left edge this season.
Winger Alex Johnston also found clean space again for the first time this year, but there are concerns over a hamstring injury suffered late.
Adam Reynolds returned from injury to lead the Broncos to a comfortable win over North Queensland.
Meanwhile, Latrell Mitchell is facing a fine of up to $2500 from the NRL after he was charged for the collision that left his close friend Josh Addo-Carr with a sickening concussion.
Mitchell was on Saturday hit with a grade-one dangerous contact charge by the match review committee, after his hip collected Addo-Carr in South Sydney’s win.
In Brisbane a masterclass kicking exhibition by Broncos captain Adam Reynolds inspired a 38-12 win over North Queensland.
The 33-year-old half had the ball on a string with his short and long kicking game in front of a crowd of 45,793 at Suncorp Stadium.
Reynolds terrorised the Cowboys’ back three in the first half to fire his side to a 20-12 lead at the break.
Fullback Scott Drinkwater and wingers Kyle Feldt and Murray Taulagi dropped floating bombs by the Broncos skipper that led to points.
Reynolds was returning from a medial collateral ligament strain that led to him missing last week’s loss to Penrith.
AAP
