Canterbury Bulldogs prop Luke Thompson out to prove he is not a spent force after almost a year on the sidelines

Luke Thompson has not played for the Bulldogs since August 20 last year. But the prop had faith he would make his return in the blue and white jersey.

NRL 2022 RD23 Parramatta Eels v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs - Luke Thompson NRL PHOTOS

For Luke Thompson it has been almost 12 months to the day since he last played for the Bulldogs. Many thought he would not pull on a Canterbury jersey again. But not Thompson.

Thompson’s season was reportedly over when he suffered a lisfranc injury when he was sandwiched between Canterbury legends Willie Mason and Mark O’Meley during a routine training drill in February.

“I could never write the year off,” Thompson said. “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.”

Thompson being helped off after sustaining a lisfranc injury at training.

The injury was supposed to sideline Thompson for about three months. But during his recovery process he discovered another small fracture on the outside of his foot.

That forced more time away from training and meant his return date kept being pushed back.

While some players feel the need to separate themselves from the group to deal with the mental anguish of injuries, Thompson said he ne never lost focus.

“I was back in the gym a week after surgery,” Thompson said. “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.”

Complicating matters for Thompson is his rich deal at Canterbury ends this year. Despite lucrative offers to return to the Super League he has made it clear that at 28 he still has plenty to achieve in the NRL.

The Bulldogs have indicated they want to retain him while the Dragons and Tigers have also expressed an interest.

“It’s a bit of a unique situation,” Thompson said. “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.

Thompson is motivated to prove his worth. Picture: NRL Imagery

“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.”

A 32-minute stint in reserve grade two weeks ago was enough for Thompson to know that he is ready to return to the NRL when he takes to the field against Newcastle on Sunday.

“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.”