Luke Thompson coming back?

[HKR AWAY DAYS]

3 hours ago, Chrispmartha said:

Fair enough, everyone's different but I much prefer living in the UK, I've thought about retiring there but to be honest rural Yorkshire is far more appealing for that.

I'm glad I tried living there but it wasn't for me.

Fair play to you. You have to try these things. I've booked a one-way flight to Seoul for April

[DoubleD]

On 01/09/2020 at 13:34, HKR AWAY DAYS said:

Lived there for 2 years. Came back in October and have been utterly depressed ever since

Do you live in Hull though? That would explain things

[HKR AWAY DAYS]

1 minute ago, DoubleD said:

Do you live in Hull though? That would explain things

It explains almost all of it haha

[DoubleD]

On 01/09/2020 at 12:47, Scubby said:

I've watched all Thompson's games for the dogs and the first couple of weeks he was having a real dig. Recently he has been very poor. I noticed when the caretaker coach took over he started spelling Thompson after 20 minutes or so and that really seemed to knock him off his game. 

He won't get anywhere near the salary he is getting if he comes back to the UK. He needs to dig in and stick it out. I know the dogs are making some decent signings for next year.

 

With respect Scubby, he doesn’t ‘need’ to stick it out. Money isn’t everything and if he isn’t happy there then he needs to do what makes him happy. 

The Dogs haven’t made the play offs since 2016 and are getting worse. They literally rely on Foran in attack and he might not be there next season. Their spine is terrible. They have no chance of making the play offs next year. But moreover, there’s no point staying where his talent is wasted and unappreciated. He’d be better off seeing if Holbrook would take him on if he was to stay down under

[Tex Evans Thigh]

4 hours ago, DoubleD said:

With respect Scubby, he doesn’t ‘need’ to stick it out. Money isn’t everything and if he isn’t happy there then he needs to do what makes him happy. 

The Dogs haven’t made the play offs since 2016 and are getting worse. They literally rely on Foran in attack and he might not be there next season. Their spine is terrible. They have no chance of making the play offs next year. But moreover, there’s no point staying where his talent is wasted and unappreciated. He’d be better off seeing if Holbrook would take him on if he was to stay down under

To be fair I think he would be best served having a preseason with the Dogs, seeing how he settles in with Barrett and get a season under his belt there. Hopefully he can get his missus out there and things open up a bit to help him settle. If he’s truly unhappy then fine come home but I’ve found it takes at least 9 months to feel even remotely settled in a new place so I hope he sticks it out.

[Scubby]

10 hours ago, DoubleD said:

With respect Scubby, he doesn’t ‘need’ to stick it out. Money isn’t everything and if he isn’t happy there then he needs to do what makes him happy. 

The Dogs haven’t made the play offs since 2016 and are getting worse. They literally rely on Foran in attack and he might not be there next season. Their spine is terrible. They have no chance of making the play offs next year. But moreover, there’s no point staying where his talent is wasted and unappreciated. He’d be better off seeing if Holbrook would take him on if he was to stay down under

Yes, he does. I don't mean personally (if he is homesick and wants to come home that's absolutely fine), I mean football wise. The Dogs may be dog #### atm but they have a $10m+ salary cap like anyone else, the competition is secure and the Bulldogs will get better. People want to have a look at where South Sydney were when Big Sam arrived - they finished 14/16 in his first season there.

The English competition is a car crash at present. 

[DoubleD]

3 minutes ago, Scubby said:

Yes, he does. I don't mean personally (if he is homesick and wants to come home that's absolutely fine), I mean football wise. The Dogs may be dog #### atm but they have a $10m+ salary cap like anyone else, the competition is secure and the Bulldogs will get better. People want to have a look at where South Sydney were when Big Sam arrived - they finished 14/16 in his first season there.

The English competition is a car crash at present. 

And so are the Dogs. 

His talent is completely wasted there atm

[Scubby]

1 minute ago, DoubleD said:

And so are the Dogs. 

His talent is completely wasted there atm

To show you are wasted you have to be proving you are head and shoulders above the rest of the squad week in and week out. I love Thompson's style of play but he hasn't been putting it in for quite a few weeks now and was deservedly dropped. So he has suddenly become a fringe player at the basement club. My point is that he could knuckle down and try and lead this club with his talent. That is what highlights whether you are wasted or not. 

[DoubleD]

2 minutes ago, Scubby said:

To show you are wasted you have to be proving you are head and shoulders above the rest of the squad week in and week out. I love Thompson's style of play but he hasn't been putting it in for quite a few weeks now and was deservedly dropped. So he has suddenly become a fringe player at the basement club. My point is that he could knuckle down and try and lead this club with his talent. That is what highlights whether you are wasted or not. 

Doesn't always work like that Scubby. If your face doesn't fit with the new coach and you're asked to do a role which isn't suited to you, then you're better off elsewhere. I'd love to see him reunited with Holbrook at the Titans, who have a more realistic chance of making the play offs, playing alongside the likes of Fifita, Fotuaika, and Fa’asuamaleaui

[Scubby]

4 minutes ago, DoubleD said:

Doesn't always work like that Scubby. If your face doesn't fit with the new coach and you're asked to do a role which isn't suited to you, then you're better off elsewhere. I'd love to see him reunited with Holbrook at the Titans, who have a more realistic chance of making the play offs, playing alongside the likes of Fifita, Fotuaika, and Fa’asuamaleaui

I get what you mean but he isn't playing for the new coach at the moment. Barrett is at Penrith and Steve Georgiallis is caretaker for the last few games. You cite the Titans but they have been a car crash club for the last decade. How can they be a more realistic prospect than the Dogs? They are in the same boat as Canterbury pretty much. The Dogs have just signed Nick Cotric who is an Origin player so they are rebuilding.

[DoubleD]

2 minutes ago, Scubby said:

I get what you mean but he isn't playing for the new coach at the moment. Barrett is at Penrith and Steve Georgiallis is caretaker for the last few games. You cite the Titans but they have been a car crash club for the last decade. How can they be a more realistic prospect than the Dogs? They are in the same boat as Canterbury pretty much. The Dogs have just signed Nick Cotric who is an Origin player so they are rebuilding.

The Titans are a car crash club like the Dogs, but you can at least see the green shoots there. They still need a good rake and half but they're much better off than the Dogs.

Splashing your money on a winger/centre (who's overrated in my opinion) is not a way to build your squad. Particularly when your only good pivot is likely to leave at the end of the year

[Scubby]

1 minute ago, DoubleD said:

The Titans are a car crash club like the Dogs, but you can at least see the green shoots there. They still need a good rake and half but they're much better off than the Dogs.

Splashing your money on a winger/centre (who's overrated in my opinion) is not a way to build your squad. Particularly when your only good pivot is likely to leave at the end of the year

I suppose it will all play out DD  I am not really a fan of either club. If Thompson knuckles down and is the best player at the Dogs next year he will have his pick of elite clubs. Sometimes you just got to work hard and show your worth. 

[DoubleD]

1 minute ago, Scubby said:

I suppose it will all play out DD  I am not really a fan of either club. If Thompson knuckles down and is the best player at the Dogs next year he will have his pick of elite clubs. Sometimes you just got to work hard and show your worth. 

I don't necessarily disagree with that premise, but my issue is with how he was being asked to play, which wasn't to his strengths. 

If your teammates don't pass to you, and just let you do dummy runs all the time, whilst giving the ball to plodders like Tolman, then it doesn't do much for your confidence. You can tell he's struggling to fit in. Perhaps it will work out, but if he has the chance to move, I think he should jump at it, as I never thought it was a good move going to Canterbury

[The Future is League]

Thompson vows to honour conrract

https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/nrl/teams/bulldogs/nrl-englishman-luke-thompson-will-honour-his-canterbury-contract-despite-battling-homesickness-in-his-first-nrl-season/news-story/506cf51d34a7cb135b7d61f48dbd010e

[Dunbar]

Thompson had his best game for the Bulldogs last weekend. Playing off the bench, he came on after 20 minutes or so and played though to the end. He looked dangerous with every carry and had a try chalked off for a double movement (it was a close call and if it had been sent to the video ref as a try it would probably have been given).

This weekend he is back into the run on side at 13 and I hope he goes well again.