England forward Thompson given four-game ban for eye gouge

Former St Helens prop Luke Thompson has been banned for four matches for eye gouging in the final regular season round of the NRL.

The 25-year-old, who signed for Canterbury Bulldogs mid-way through 2020, pleaded not guilty to grabbing at the eyes of Penrith forward James Tamou in his side’s 42-0 loss, however the NRL judiciary concluded that he did commit the offence.

He will now miss the first four games of the 2021 NRL season, and is unable to use England’s postponed Ashes Series fixtures against Australia as part of the ban, as those matches were postponed.

After the hearing, Thompson said: “I was just trying to win the tackle, take him to the ground. So I’m a bit confused, disappointed.”