Luke Thompson future bombshell

Luke Thompson’s future has been one of the major talking points for the past year or so.

The Daily Telegraph had previously reported that Thompson continues to be shopped around – in both hemispheres – in a bid to get his lucrative contract off of the Bulldogs’ pay list.

The former St Helens forward is also rumoured to have been offered to the Wests Tigers, according to reports Down Under after just one-and-a-half seasons at Belmore, but there is also speculation he could return to Super League.

The Bulldogs’ salary cap looks almighty close to the limit following the transfer of new signing Viliame Kikau who will be on a reported $800,000 a year when his contract starts in 2023.

However, any potential deal will not be concluded for 2022, according to one of the sport’s most revered journalists, The Mole.

When asked, on Twitter, what the latest is with Thompson, The Mole replied with “He’s staying – and I think he has COVID.”

He's staying – and I think he has COVID.

— The Mole (@9_Moley) January 10, 2022

Of course, whilst the latter half of that reply isn’t positive – which would explain his absence from Canterbury training this week – the former certainly is as Thompson was one of the Bulldogs’ most impressive performers in 2021.

Whilst Canterbury picked up the wooden spoon, the former St Helens star certainly did his reputation no harm with a string of stellar performances.