Brits in the NRL

[graveyard johnny]

Luke Thompson NOT! been involved in the bulldogs pre season training camps recently !

[hunsletgreenandgold]

15 minutes ago, graveyard johnny said:

Luke Thompson NOT! been involved in the bulldogs pre season training camps recently !

Yeah been pretty strong rumours he's been shopped around by the Bulldogs because of the cap issues they'll encounter next season, so seems like they've decided best to get their house in order now. I didn't realise he was on as much as he's rumoured to be ($450k) so not surprising really - whether it'll be another NRL side or back to SL remains to be seen. He started to find some form last year but poor discipline and couple of knocks meant he never had the impact the Dogs would've wanted. I hope he can sort a new club for 2023 and see out this season with the Dogs, now they finally seem to have a decent side.

[graveyard johnny]

10 minutes ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

Yeah been pretty strong rumours he's been shopped around by the Bulldogs because of the cap issues they'll encounter next season, so seems like they've decided best to get their house in order now. I didn't realise he was on as much as he's rumoured to be ($450k) so not surprising really - whether it'll be another NRL side or back to SL remains to be seen. He started to find some form last year but poor discipline and couple of knocks meant he never had the impact the Dogs would've wanted. I hope he can sort a new club for 2023 and see out this season with the Dogs, now they finally seem to have a decent side.

like I said before - in my opinion Craig  Bellamy could make him in to the worlds best front rower should he get the chance 

[graveyard johnny]

trouble with the bulldogs signings - they have all come from proven teams with proven squads - will be interesting for eg to see just how good the fox is NOT  been complimented  by the storms attack - my bet? wont be crossing the line as much - apart from his own!

[Ray Cashmere]

43 minutes ago, graveyard johnny said:

Luke Thompson NOT! been involved in the bulldogs pre season training camps recently !

Given the COVID rates in NSW recently it could be that. I'd be surprised if anything happened for the 2022 season.

[Saint Toppy]

1 hour ago, graveyard johnny said:

Luke Thompson NOT! been involved in the bulldogs pre season training camps recently !

I reckon he'll end up at the Titans with Holbrook

[Davo5]

2 hours ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

Yeah been pretty strong rumours he's been shopped around by the Bulldogs because of the cap issues they'll encounter next season, so seems like they've decided best to get their house in order now. I didn't realise he was on as much as he's rumoured to be ($450k) so not surprising really - whether it'll be another NRL side or back to SL remains to be seen. He started to find some form last year but poor discipline and couple of knocks meant he never had the impact the Dogs would've wanted. I hope he can sort a new club for 2023 and see out this season with the Dogs, now they finally seem to have a decent side.

He’s on $800k a season until the end of 2023,if the Dogs want rid of him they’ll have to carry on paying some of his contract to entice other NRL clubs to sign him.

[graveyard johnny]

2 hours ago, Saint Toppy said:

I reckon he'll end up at the Titans with Holbrook

a step sideways in his career?

[Futtocks]

9 minutes ago, graveyard johnny said:

a step sideways in his career?

He can shine better in a side that isn't catastrophically bad, although I'd expect Canterbury to be better (not very hard to do) this season.

[DavidM]

He didn’t shine but conversely the Bulldogs didn’t use him very well . Often they  seem to want a specific and very limited role for players down there , and his assets we saw to effect here just were hardly maximised . I’d say going back to work under Holbrook would be a positive , I don’t think Gus really wants him there tbh

[Futtocks]

1 minute ago, DavidM said:

He didn’t shine but conversely the Bulldogs didn’t use him very well . Often they  seem to want a specific and very limited role for players down there , and his assets we saw to effect here just were hardly maximised . I’d say going back to work under Holbrook would be a positive , I don’t think Gus really wants him there tbh

Gus has a lot of issues to work through.

[graveyard johnny]

20 minutes ago, DavidM said:

He didn’t shine but conversely the Bulldogs didn’t use him very well . Often they  seem to want a specific and very limited role for players down there , and his assets we saw to effect here just were hardly maximised . I’d say going back to work under Holbrook would be a positive , I don’t think Gus really wants him there tbh

true - thinking about it how could a ginger hardman prop forward from st helens ever be a good thing for the bulldogs? it would never work out 

[DavidM]

7 minutes ago, graveyard johnny said:

true - thinking about it how could a ginger hardman prop forward from st helens ever be a good thing for the bulldogs? it would never work out 

Indeed , and they let that one play his game and look how it benefitted them. Maybe they should try it with Thompson 

[graveyard johnny]

6 minutes ago, DavidM said:

Indeed , and they let that one play his game and look how it benefitted them. Maybe they should try it with Thompson 

am sure they will soon get fed up of the fox as well (and his mega wages) not scoring tries cos hes not finishing off moves by the melbourne machine anymore

[DavidM]

They’ll soon get fed up with Barrett if he doesn’t deliver now

[Saint Toppy]

On 07/01/2022 at 19:15, graveyard johnny said:

a step sideways in his career?

He may have had his disciplinary issues but was still the stand out player in an atrocious Bulldogs team. The Titans may not be a top team but they've got a damn good coach and are building nicely into a consistent top 8 team. Personally I think he'd go well in that environment

[hunsletgreenandgold]

The Mole reckons Thompson is definitely staying and has been missing from recent pics of training because he's in covid isolation. 

[graveyard johnny]

On 07/01/2022 at 20:26, DavidM said:

They’ll soon get fed up with Barrett if he doesn’t deliver now

yep - thats exactly right and to be honest my moneys on the "fed up" more than the "deliver"

[Man of Kent]

Farnworth rumoured to be off t'dark side. https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/the-mole-brisbane-broncos-herbie-farnworth-future-possible-rugby-union-switch/372d59e0-f11c-4cc7-b9db-013749692e40

[hunsletgreenandgold]

27 minutes ago, Man of Kent said:

Farnworth rumoured to be off t'dark side. https://wwos.nine.com.au/nrl/the-mole-brisbane-broncos-herbie-farnworth-future-possible-rugby-union-switch/372d59e0-f11c-4cc7-b9db-013749692e40

I'm highly skeptical of this one - not least of all because it's seemingly all based on sources down under, opposed to any UK journalist also picking it up. I'm sure England Rugby are aware of him, along with lots of other English RL talent but the idea of him being stolen from our game (akin to Sam Burgess) just seems way out of left field, at least in the next couple of years. 

[barnyia]

Like most players when their contract is almost up, the young English players in England have NRL clubs and union clubs hovering around, he has English super League clubs and union clubs hovering around, I reckon I could make it as an agent too, I've understood the tricks of the trade

[burnleywelsh]

England RU have been after him for years, since he was a kid.

[barnyia]

Did he play both when he was younger? 

[burnleywelsh]

2 minutes ago, barnyia said:

Did he play both when he was younger? 

Grammar school boy. Ermysted’s Grammar school Skipton. Played there, but vast majority of his youth Rugby was at St.Pat’s and Newton Storm.

[glossop saint]

Do you know if he has an urge to try top level union or wants to make it to the very top in league or (understandably) would go where the money is?

Of course a very simplified question for a difficult position for him but just wondered if there was any burning desire either way.