NRL player Lance Thompson dies aged 40
Cronulla Sharks and St George Illawarra Dragons legend Lance Thompson has tragically been found dead at 40, believed to be the result of a medical episode.
NSW
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Cronulla Sharks and St George Illawarra Dragons legend Lance Thompson has tragically been found dead at 40.
Police believe the beloved former NRL player may have suffered a medical episode before his teenage daughter reportedly discovered him in his Cronulla apartment at 9pm on Thursday night.
Rugby league commentator Andrew Voss said on Twitter he was “absolutely numb”.
“He proved you don’t need to have won grand finals or played for your country to be a champion,” Voss wrote.
“I sincerely hope Lance knew how much rugby league fans admired and respected him for all that he achieved and did, on and off the field.
“Heart goes out to his family.”
Thompson played his junior football with Hurstville United while attending Kingsgrove High School.
He made his first-grade debut for St George against the Sharks at Shark Park in 1995 when he was just 17 years old.
The forward played for City in the annual City vs. Country match before he retired in 2008, citing a knee injury and his diagnosis with type one diabetes.
Thompson told The Daily Telegraph when he knew it was time to retire.
“I was playing soccer with my daughter on Wednesday and I couldn’t keep up with her because of the pain in my knee,” Thompson said in 2008.
“Retiring will give me a chance to deal with both my knee and my injuries … it will also help me deal with my diabetes.”
Then-Sharks coach Ricky Stuart told The Daily Telegraph Thompson was “a determined bloke”.
“I have played with and against plenty of tough players,” Stuart said.
“But none have been tougher than Lance Thompson.”
The Dragons will wear black armbands and pay tribute to the hard-running legend at their Jubilee Stadium home game against the Bulldogs this Sunday.
The NRL community across the country is mourning Thompson, who played more than 200 first grade games for the Dragons and the Sharks.
Former Sharks player Keith Galloway said Thompson was one of his “childhood favourites”.
“(He was) a local hero who I looked up to and was lucky enough to get to know over the years,” Galloway tweeted.
“Champion bloke and player.”
The Footy Show personality Darryl Brohman said he had just had a beer with Thompson a week earlier, while reporter Danny Weidler said Thompson was “old school tough with a heart of gold”.
NRL CEO Todd Greenberg said Thompson was a “tough and humble bloke on and off the field”.
“The rugby league community sends our condolences to all friends and family,” Greenberg tweeted.