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Adrian Morley, Sam Burgess, James Graham ... Luke Thompson needs to draw on the spirit of his fellow British prop forwards if he is to make a success of his NRL stint with the Bulldogs.
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.
“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.
Hailed as the best prop in the world by former St Helens coach and current Titans mentor Justin Holbrook, 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.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...s/news-story/452e341d2b77b8ac612f45447b0f8639
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.
“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.
Hailed as the best prop in the world by former St Helens coach and current Titans mentor Justin Holbrook, 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.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...s/news-story/452e341d2b77b8ac612f45447b0f8639
