Steve Roach backs import Luke Thompson to handle the weight of expectation in Bulldogs debut
Super League import Luke Thompson makes his NRL debut on Saturday and Steve ‘Blocker’ Roach has weighed in on how he thinks the Englishman will go – and where he should be played.
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It is the weighty question that is perplexing rugby league fans ahead of the NRL’s most anticipated debut – how much does Luke Thompson really weigh?
While the weight of expectation is undisputed for the player that has been dubbed the “best prop in the world”, mystery surrounds the true size of the Canterbury recruit with a 11kg discrepancy reported in his playing weight.
Set to be unleashed by the Bulldogs on Saturday night against the Broncos, Thompson has been listed in official playing profiles as both a 95kg lightweight and a 106kg behemoth.
The Daily Telegraph went to the scales for the truth.
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“He is 102 kilograms,” said a Bulldogs official. “And that is from the horse’s mouth.
“He said he has seen all those profiles and has no idea how anyone came up with 95kg. Reckons that would make him a weasel. Or even worse, a winger.”
Expecting to meet the 95kg player that had been listed on the official Super League website, former Australian Test prop Steve Roach said he was surprised by Thompson’s size when he met the forward last week.
“He is actually pretty big,” Roach said. “A lot bigger than I expected. I reckon he is about 105kg. He is lean but he is also big.”
Despite being big enough to play as a prop, Roach declared Thompson was better suited to playing as a wide running lock.
Thompson was expected to make his debut as a prop but was picked at No. 13 following an injury to Adam Elliott. It is unclear whether the 25-year-old will be kept strictly in the middle or unleashed on an edge.
“I have watched him pretty closely and see him play a lot,” Roach said. “And I have thought he is a lock all along. He can play in the middle for sure but he is not a Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, who I think is the best prop in the game at the moment. Thompson is much more athletic. He is a bit taller, leaner and more mobile which makes him ideal for a lock.”
Roach has backed Thompson to succeed in the NRL after making the Brit made the bold call to test himself in rugby league’s toughest competition.
“There is a lot of pressure on him,” Roach said.
“I was surprised when people started calling him the best prop in the world. That was a big statement but it didn’t come from him. I am sure he is embarrassed by that tag because he hasn’t played against the best yet. But full credit to him coming over for the challenge.”
Roach was one of the first to meet Thompson in the flesh after the former St Helens player spent his first two weeks in Australia in COVID isolation.
“I was bloody chuffed to be introduced to him,” Roach said. “Steve Price brought him over to me and I thought that was pretty special because I am a bit of a fan.
“I have watched a lot of him as I said so it was good. He struck me as a real good guy. I am really excited to see how he goes. It is great for the NRL that he is here and I reckon he is going to have a real good go.”
BEST PROP IN THE WORLD? THOMPSON’S BIG TEST
—Nick Campton
English import Luke Thompson can transform Canterbury’s ailing 2020 season — so long as he holds nothing back in his attempts to prove himself in the NRL.
Ahead of the star import’s Bulldogs debut against Brisbane on Saturday, legendary enforcer Mark “Spudd” Carroll has urged the former St Helens man to inspire his Bulldogs teammates with the same warrior mentality that made fellow Brits James Graham, Sam Burgess and Adrian Morley legends in Australia.
“If he comes as a front-rower should, with a warrior attitude, these young blokes will jump on board,” Carroll said.
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“If there’s new meat in town, you want to see how he goes, so it’ll be good to see how he aims up. Talking to Sam Burgess, he’s got high regard for him.
“We had James Graham, he was a warrior. We had Adrian Morley and Sam Burgess. That’s three great players there, and there’s sort of been a mantle to come to our game and you have to live up to that.
“If he comes here with a big head and thinks it’s just going to happen – mate, we aren’t playing bloody Super League. We’re playing NRL, the hardest competition in the world, and I think it sums him up that he’s going to come here and give it a crack.”
Having spent two weeks self-isolating before he was allowed to train with his new teammates, Thompson is champing at the bit to play his first match in almost four months.
He’ll have a lot to live up to – after all, back in England there are plenty who say Thompson is the best prop in the world, nevermind anybody else.
For his part, the 25-year-old Thompson said he relished the brutal collisions in the middle of the field.
“I don’t take a backward step, I like the confrontation, I like the contact side of the game,” Thompson said. “It makes me feel alive.”
“To be honest I don’t really get that nervous, I’m more excited for the game this weekend. It’ll be an honour to wear that blue and white shirt.”
Man of the match in St Helens grand final victory over Salford last year, Thompson is a welcome addition for the struggling Bulldogs.
Carroll has backed Thompson to make an immediate impact, starting on Saturday.
Despite their poor record, the Broncos still boast some fearsome middle forwards, including Tevita Pangai Junior and Payne Haas, and Thompson will have to prove himself from the jump.
“He looks like he’s built like Tarzan. Me personally, if I was playing the game, I’d want to see how good he is, so I’d come out of the line and give him a whack. It sounds like he’s got some grit between the teeth and he’d give it back, so I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do,” Carroll said.
Originally published as Steve Roach backs import Luke Thompson to handle the weight of expectation in Bulldogs debut