Oliver Gildart has reportedly been trying to coax Canterbury Bulldogs star Luke Thompson to the Wests Tigers.
That’s according to the Sydney Morning Herald’s Danny Weidler, with Thompson’s anti-vaccination stance causing trouble at the Bulldogs and Gildart – Wests’ new recruit from the Wigan Warriors – has been attempting to influence the Englishman’s move to the Tigers.
Thompson had been linked with a move away from the Canterbury Bulldogs earlier in the year, with the club willing to let the prop go until a change of commitment ended speculation that the Englishman would leave.
However, Thompson’s future has now been called into question once more due to coming head-to-head over his refusal to get vaccinated.
Channel 9’s Danny Weidler revealed in the Sydney Morning Herald: “He has been butting aheads with the Bulldogs management about COVID vaccination.
“He has told them a number of times that he does not want to be vaccinated.
“He didn’t even want to wear a mask in Brisbane when players were required to do so after the competition was relocated to Queensland.”
The Bulldogs hierarchy have issued a notice that Bulldogs need to be double-vaccinated in time for the club’s return to pre-season training on November 1.
Thompson is the first NRL player to publicly refuse the vaccine – a refusal which comes after the NRL spoke out against mandating a vaccine for its stars.
