Rugby League Gold Coast: Joel Thompson, Kevin Proctor on cusp of A-grade premiership

After crossing paths almost two decades ago, Ex-NRL men Joel Thompson and Kevin Proctor are on the cusp of delivering a maiden A-grade premiership to a Gold Coast club.

Joel Thompson and Kevin Proctor are on the cusp of delivering Currumbin Eagles a historic 2024 Rugby League Gold Coast premiership. Picture: Mitch Bourke.

After over a decade of going head-to-head in the NRL, Joel Thompson and Kevin Proctor are on the cusp of delivering Currumbin a special Rugby League Gold Coast premiership.

But it isn’t the first time the pair have lined up together.

18 years ago in 2006, the pair boarded a plane to the United Kingdom to embark on the trip of a lifetime – an Australian Schoolboys tour.

“We killed it, we had a gun side,” recalls former Titans captain Proctor of the trip.

The pair may not have distinct memories of one another, but that they have been brought back together after all this time isn’t lost on them.

“It was pretty cool when I heard he was coming down here, we hadn’t played with each other for 18 years, it’s a good little flashback,” Thompson, who played 255 NRL games, said of Proctor.

“It just shows with footy the full circle, obviously starting way back then and now we’re out here running around at a club like this is pretty cool.”

Former NRL star Joel Thompson signed with the Currumbin Eagles for 2024. Picture Glenn Hampson

Proctor also has a special connection with Currumbin’s coach, Melbourne great Matt Geyer, who he played alongside at the Storm in 2008.

“That’d be really cool, I’ve thought about that,” Geyer said of coaching Proctor to a premiership after calling him an NRL teammate all those years ago.

“My son (Nash) was a little boy then, he was seven, eight years old, and now he’s playing next to Kev like I did, it’s really cool.”

“It makes Kev feel old, because he remembers Nash as a little kid and now he’s playing with him. It makes me feel old too, going I played with you and now you’re playing with my son.

“It’s really special.”

Former NRL player Matt Geyer is the coach of the Currumbin Eagles. Photo: Scott Powick Newscorp

Unsurprisingly, it was Geyer who lured Thompson to the Eagles ahead of this season, and the ex-NRL man has fallen in love with the club ever since.

“It’s a really good club, real supportive, real community club, the families all come here,” Thompson said.

“They have good supporters, there’s lots of old fellas that have been around the club for a long time and it was very emotional when we won it for them (in the semi final).

“I reckon that’s pretty cool.”

Former NRL player Kevin Proctor after signing with the Currumbin Eagles this year. Picture: Mitch Bourke.

Come Saturday’s grand final against sworn enemy Tugun – Currumbin’s first since 2008 – both Thompson and Proctor have their eyes firmly fixed on the premiership prize.

Since he walked through the door mid-season, Proctor – who is a Currumbin junior – has made it clear that he wants to deliver the Eagles their first A-grade premiership.

“That was my goal, I always wanted to come back here after I finished playing professionally,” Proctor said.

“I always said to the club I would come back and give it a year.

“If we can come back here and win one it’d make it a lot more special.

“Doing it in our first year would be unreal but we’ll see how we go.”