Leeds Rhinos, Wigan Warriors, Warrington Wolves and St Helens have all been linked with big moves for Luke Thompson ever since he left Super League.
In his last full campaign with St Helens, Thompson guided them to the Grand Final in which he won the Harry Sunderland Award as Man of the Match.
In 2020 though he left for the Canterbury Bulldogs. He has impressed there since joining except for when he has been injured.
These injuries have frequently raises speculation about his future including this year with talks of a major move to Wigan but also interest from St George Illawarra Dragons and Wests Tigers.
Now there has been a fresh twist in his future with the Bulldogs set to make big calls on the direction of the club this week as confirmed by chief Phil Gould.
He is set to make some big calls saying: “Could be a big week … It will certainly be a very busy week … Some decisions to be made … The time has come …”
Could be a big week … It will certainly be a very busy week … Some decisions to be made … The time has come …
— Phil Gould (@PhilGould15) August 20, 2023
He would later confirm that he would be looking at all aspects of the club including the playing staff meaning the futures of players hang in the balance and Thompson will be amongst them.
He has remerged as a prominent member of the Bulldogs’ side lately but with this fresh twist at the Bulldogs the chances of him staying are slimmer.
Thompson recently spoke about his future but also his battles against injury.
“I could never write the year off,” Thompson said to the Daily Telegraph.
“Not playing this year never entered my mind. All year I’ve been trying to get back as soon as I could. My main focus was to get back and help the lads.
“It has taken longer than I hoped but it’ll be good to get back out there.
“I was back in the gym a week after surgery. You can’t train on your feet but you can do other stuff. I kept sitting in the team video sessions because I had to keep footy on my mind.
“Because as soon as I was ready to come back I had to be ready to go. It took longer than expected but all the hard work is going to pay off.”
When asked about his future, he said: “It’s a bit of a unique situation. I missed the back-end of last year and then played a World Cup. I came in ready for a big season and then I got injured.
“I know my values and what I bring to a club and team. For me it’s reminding people because I have not been there for a quite a while now. Injury can make you better or define you. I always have mindset to get it right.”
Last week, Thompson made a return to the reserves for Bulldogs.
“I felt really good,” Thompson said. “The foot felt good and my lungs were better than I expected. It gave me a lot of confidence. Straight away I could feel that everything I’d done was starting to pay me back.”
