News World Club Challenge: Bulldogs fans’ chance to see $2m signing Luke Thompson against NRL opposition

[Spoonman84]

Watching the Roosters go around against any team other than their own would not normally be high on the agenda of Bulldogs fans but they have a special reason to watch the Chooks play in the UK.

The World Club challenge final in St Helens on Sunday morning (AEDT) is almost as important for Bulldogs fans as it is the Sydney Roosters.

Canterbury fans will get to see how their new $2 million English Test forward Luke Thompson copes with the best front-row combination in the game – Jarred Waerea-Hargreaves and Siosiua Taukeiaho.

It will be a blockbuster engine room confrontation that will go a long way towards determining the outcome as the Roosters strive to become the first club to won the world title five times.

Bulldogs fans will get to see how their big-money signing Luke Thompson copes with the might of the Roosters forward pack. Picture: Getty Images
The Bulldogs recently won a six-club bidding war for Thompson, paying a whopping $850,000 a season to secure his services for three years from 2021.

Roosters warhorse Waerea-Hargreaves, about to start his 12th season, knows what to expect against not only Thompson but Alex Walmsley, his Great Britain front-row partner.

“Walmsley is like seven foot - they’re both juggernauts,” Waerea Hargreaves said, “I’m really looking forward to it.

“Thompson has got great leg speed. I’ve played him for the last three years. The leg speed is something you admire because it catches your defence and he can decide where he chooses to run.

“It’s a massive step for him to come to Australia and test himself. It’s up to us to do a good job on their middle boys for us to have any luck elsewhere.”

https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/s...n/news-story/4ac6f1b21dcefa03c08172d913c41e1a

 

[jof]

As if you needed any other excuse to barrack against the Chooks!

 

[Spoonman84]

Old Buzz must have hit the piss hard when he wrote this. The headline says we paid $2 million then he says we paid $850k a year. I guess being over half a million out isn’t too bad for beetroot head.

 

[DinkumDog]

Old Buzz must have hit the piss hard when he wrote this. The headline says we paid $2 million then he says we paid $850k a year. I guess being over half a million out isn’t too bad for beetroot head.

What's $500k between mates?
That's probably just Buzz's annual booze budget .

 

[Spoonman84]

What's $500k between mates?
That's probably just Buzz's annual booze budget .

Or his monthly spend at Stilettos.

 

[DogsOfWar1704]

Pretty sure he’s on 700k not 850k
Couple mistakes in that story

 

[Psycho Doggie]

Any chance this match will be streaming somewhere?

 

[bradyk]

It looks nicer to say 2m instead of 2.55m. Thompson isn't on 850k surely. I don't want to believe that . Anyways hopefully he can hold his own tomorrow and can show us something against the best.

 

[CrittaMagic69]

850k lol.

 

[bradyk]

Any chance this match will be streaming somewhere?

https://www.comparetv.com.au/news/free-to-air/world-club-series-live-online-streaming-free-air-tv/ . I think this is accurate. Just double check.

 

[Teddybear]

Try 900k

Pretty sure he’s on 700k not 850k
Couple mistakes in that story

 

[bowleggedwog]

Umm I'm not the smartest guy but FMD I'm not the dumbest either. 2mill over 3 years =850k a year. Is des n dib back running the cap.

 

[DogsOfWar1704]

Any chance this match will be streaming somewhere?

It’s on tv about 6:45am I think? Not sure what channel though

 

[B-Train]

There'll be a lot of conjecture about what he's earning. I'd say between 750-800k would be more likely but it's a guessing game..

Whatever he's earning I think he'll prove to be value for money.

 

[bradyk]

Umm I'm not the smartest guy but FMD I'm not the dumbest either. 2mill over 3 years =850k a year. Is des n dib back running the cap.

2m over three years is just over 650k a year (666*k). I think Buzz (?) has used 2m as it looks better to write/read than 2.55m (850k/year). Regardless what number it is it's massive money for someone unproven (more than the majority of the top prop's in the NRL if we're going off what they're rumoured to be on too). We just have to hope it somewhat works out (I think it's very unlikely we'll get the whole 650k-850k value out of him).

If we want to meme Des the contract would look something like this:
Year 1: 700k
Year 2: 900k
Year 3: 1m

 

[Nexus]

His price seems to go up every article written lol. These journos obviously have nfi.

If it were the Roosters however, he would be reported to be signed for 400K and then would free 800K from their salary cap when he leaves.

 

[doggieaaron]

Or his monthly spend at Stilettos.

Imagine those poor women when he drops his pants lol

 

[Alan79]

I'll try to watch this just to see how Thomson goes. But we still have a full season before he moves out here to join us. So for now I'm more interested in who we have lining up for us this year. I'll get more excited about seeing him perform when he's wearing the club colours.

I know there is a lot of conjecture about what he's earning. But I doubt that the players even discuss what they're earning with their team mates. So all the salaries published in the media are just guesswork and should be taken as guesswork. I'd love to know that he's signed on a reasonable pay rate just because it allows for more quality to be retained and recruited to the roster. But at the end of the day his salary isn't of concern to me so much as the fact that he brings the right attitude on game day and helps us get the results that we all want to see. He's pretty well respected by the fans that have been watching him play for the last few years, so I'm going to hope he makes a mark for us when he's here. So I hope he has a good season before he arrives and rises to every challenge the NRL has to offer.

 

[Alan79]

His price seems to go up every article written lol. These journos obviously have nfi.

If it were the Roosters however, he would be reported to be signed for 400K and then would free 800K from their salary cap when he leaves.

According to the dribble published by the media a good portion of the Roosters roster would be willing to pay their club just to be a part of the team.

 

[Spoonman84]

Imagine those poor women when he drops his pants lol

I’m sure there’s a high rate of sickies when they see Buzz is booked in for the next day.