Ex-St Helens forward Luke Thompson suffers scary health diagnosis

Whilst rugby league continuing to concentrate on attempts to lower the amount of head knocks and concussion symptoms players can get, that doesn’t stop stars from succumbing to problems.

As the sport continues to grow in physicality, getting your head in the wrong place at the wrong time is a major issue as the governing bodies try to limit the potential devastating effects in later life.

One former St Helens man, however, has received some awful news today that rules him out of this week’s round of fixtures.

Luke Thompson is currently suffering from ‘delated symptoms of concussion’, and, though the Canterbury Bulldogs have not pressed the panic button just yet, the enforcer will miss the Bulldogs’ fixture with Penrith Panthers.

Having seen the effects of concussion in recent years with the likes of Leeds Rhinos star Stevie Ward and Wakefield Trinity winger Tom Johnstone suffering a number of bad head knocks, clubs are being extra careful in order to protect their players.

Thompson, meanwhile, continues to be linked with a move away from Belmore as Canterbury plot a huge rebuild under their new boss – whoever that may be.

Wests Tigers were said to be chasing him in 2021, but the hulking prop has also been linked to Melbourne Storm as well as with a return to Super League.