Retiring Gold Coast Titans NRL player Corey Thompson reveals the extent of his knee injury

Retiring Titan Corey Thompson has revealed he played the last season of his NRL career with a secret injury that left him in agony and living on pain killers. READY WHY

RETIRING Titan Corey Thompson has revealed he played the last season of his NRL career with a secret injury that left him in agony and living on pain killers.

The popular Gold Coast rugby league figure battled injury throughout the 2022 season before calling time on a stunning nine-year career that included 180 games across stints at Canterbury Bulldogs, England’s Widnes Vikings, Wests Tigers and the Titans.

It was common knowledge the 32-year-old winger fractured his hand leading into the season and that he had problems with his knee but Thompson has revealed the extent of his leg problems for the first time.

“I had a tear in my meniscus, some joint problems and loose particles floating around,” Thompson said.

Retiring Titans rugby league player Corey Thompson at Cbus Super Stadium. Picture: Glenn Hampson

“Knees are meant to have a 4mm space between the joints but I have just 1mm on the outside of my right knee.

“I have bad arthritis in the side of my joint as well as the meniscus tear.”

Thompson said the club kept the details of the injury quiet as he attempted to get through the year.

“It was an injury I could train with but I’d be playing in so much pain,” Thompson said.

“My whole game is built off agility and changing direction but stepping off my right foot left me in agony. The knee would always lock up. I’d have to kick it out.

“Any time someone tackled me from the right-hand side I’d have to surrender because the knee would lock.”

Corey Thompson celebrates scoring a try against Brisbane. Picture: NRL Imagery

Thompson, who played in the 2014 NRL grand final for the Bulldogs, said he lived on pain killers for a period but the side affects took their toll on his body.

“I would live off pain killers and anti-inflammatories,” he said.

“I remember one game I had to take pain killers and anti-inflammatories just to get through.

“They were a lifesaver for a little bit and I could play two or three games OK but after the third I couldn’t recover. It would take seven days for the fluid in my knee to go away.

“I had to get it drained and we had scans about three times through the year.

“The pain killers were then messing with my stomach and giving me ulcers. You are meant to get off them after like four days but there was a point I was having them every day for three or four weeks.”

Retiring Titans rugby league player Corey Thompson (front) with Titan fans Lisa Forrest, William Forrest 16, Adam Brown and Luca Brown 12, at Cbus Super Stadium. Picture Glenn Hampson

Thompson spent three seasons at the Titans who had an option to initiate a clause in his contract for a fourth year but they ultimately decided not to.

But the speedster said he left the game satisfied.

“You would love to play forever but I was one of the lucky ones who got to retire with a smile on my face,” Thompson said.

“I didn’t medically retire at a young age and I got to play footy for about 10 years.”

Thompson’s absence from Gold Coast’s Parkwood base may only be short lived.

His partner, Lily Walker, is a physiotherapist at the same precinct the Titans headquarters is located at and Thompson’s next career moves could also keep him around the club.

Thompson has signed with a coaching company, opening the door for him to mentor Gold Coast’s young players while he also has aspirations of coaching in an NRL system between doing some player management and fan engagement at the Titans.

“I can start running clinics for kids of all ages,” he said.

“It will be for kids who just want to play rugby league for fun and fitness as well as kids who are aspiring to play it professionally.

“I’m in the process of getting my level two coaching certificate so I can coach senior football and then I’ll jump in and get my level three which is high performance coaching.

“I’d love to be an assistant (NRL) coach or a backs coach.”