Joel Thompson called time on his rugby league career at the end of the 2021 Super League season, but when you hear the amount of injuries he sustained, there’s little wonder why.
Thompson, who joined St Helens ahead of the 2021 Super League season, is now a manager for THEE Group in Slacks Creek, Queensland, Australia – a rail construction and maintenance company.
The 33-year-old registered 19 appearances for Saints, but struggled with injuries – a fact that led to him calling retirement at the end of 2021.
“I wanted to stay over there for a few more years, but my body just had enough and my family wanted to come home,” Thompson told The Spirit of Sport podcast.
“I’m back here now working at THEE group with my best mate who is the managing director.
“People struggle after footy, but I think it’s the happiest I’ve been as I don’t have the pressure of managing injuries and I’m just doing something I love getting people employed, kicking off their careers and getting themselves set up for life.”
Amongst those injuries which plagued Thompson’s career towards the back end was a horrendous shoulder issue and a debilitating ankle problem.
“My body is a lot better now but I’ve got nerve damage in my shoulder as I always tried to hit people as hard as I could and it would get to a point where I would get a burning pain down my arm.
“I’ve dislocated my fingers over the years and now they are pointing inwards and can’t be fixed and I also injured my ankle.
“I couldn’t walk sideways because of the damage done, so at marker I was getting sprayed by the coach but I couldn’t move out sideways.
“I pride myself in going out there and doing my job but when I couldn’t do that anymore I would get filthy on myself – I didn’t care about money I just wanted to get into the next stage of my life.”
