The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that the Canterbury Bulldogs are trying to negotiate an early release for St Helens forward Luke Thompson for the remainder of the 2020 NRL season.
Thompson has already agreed to a 3 year deal with the Bulldogs starting in 2021, but with the Super League season now closer to starting and the Bulldogs desperate for talent, it seems they are trying to lure the Super League forward over to Australia a little earlier than originally planned.
Thompson will add much needed depth to a Bulldogs squad that is very threadbare. As the club continues its rebuilding phase after the disastrous Raelene Castle/Des Hasler years, they need all the help they can get.
It will be interesting to see whether or not St Helens will be willing to grant Thompson a release. While it could be seen as a gauge as to how close the club thinks a Super League season re-start is, it could also be a very easy cost cutting measure, something all clubs across the globe must take into consideration at this point.
Should Thompson get a release he would still need to sit through 14 day quarantine when he enters Australia, something all international arrivals must go through, so it isn’t a straight forward move and would be something Thompson would really have to consider carefully.
