Joel Thompson (rugby league) facts for kids
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Personal information
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| Born | 24 August 1988 Ivanhoe, New South Wales, Australia |
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| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.90 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 16 st 3 lb (103 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Playing information
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| Position | Second-row, Centre | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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As of 5 January 2024
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Joel Thompson, born on 24 August 1988, is a retired Australian professional rugby league player. He played as a forward, mostly in the second-row position. Joel played for several teams during his career, including St Helens in the Super League and the Canberra Raiders, St George Illawarra Dragons, and Manly Warringah Sea Eagles in Australia's National Rugby League (NRL). He also represented the Indigenous All Stars and the NSW Country Origin team.
Contents
Early Life and Background
Joel Thompson was born in Ivanhoe, New South Wales, Australia. He has both Indigenous Australian and English heritage.
Joel started playing junior rugby league for the Ivanhoe Roosters and the Forbes Magpies. He went to Red Bend Catholic College before being signed by the Canberra Raiders. As a young player, he represented the Australian Schoolboys team in 2006 and the Junior Kangaroos in 2007.
Professional Playing Career
Starting with the Canberra Raiders
2008: NRL Debut
In the 2008 NRL season, Joel Thompson played for the Canberra Raiders' NYC team. He was named in the 2008 NYC Team of the Year as a second-row player. Joel made his first NRL appearance for Canberra in Round 26 against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. He came off the bench in their 52–34 win at Canberra Stadium. This was his only NRL game that season.
2009: First NRL Tries
After a period away from the team due to a personal matter, Joel returned to play in Round 18 against the Newcastle Knights. In Round 22, he scored his first NRL try against the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs. Joel played 9 matches and scored 2 tries for the Raiders in the 2009 NRL season.
2010: Indigenous All Stars Debut
On 13 February 2010, Joel was chosen for the first-ever Indigenous All Stars team. He played against the NRL All Stars at Cbus Super Stadium. He played in 15 matches and scored 10 tries for Canberra in the 2010 NRL season. His season ended early in Round 17 due to a groin injury. In September 2010, Joel signed a new contract with Canberra until the end of the 2013 NRL season.
2011: Country Origin Selection
Joel was again selected for the Indigenous All Stars team on 12 February 2011. On 6 May 2011, he was chosen to play for the NSW Country Origin team. He played at centre against the NSW City Origin team. Joel played 21 matches and scored 6 tries for the Raiders in the 2011 NRL season.
2012: Consistent Performance
On 4 February 2012, Joel was selected for the Indigenous All Stars team for the third time. He played in 25 matches and scored 7 tries for Canberra in the 2012 NRL season.
2013: Moving to the Dragons
Joel played for the Indigenous All Stars team again on 9 February 2013. In April 2013, it was announced that he would join the St. George Illawarra Dragons for three years, starting in 2014. Joel played 18 matches and scored 8 tries in his final year with the Canberra Raiders in the 2013 NRL season.
Time with the St. George Illawarra Dragons
2014: Dragons Debut and 100th Game
In February 2014, Joel was part of the St George Illawarra Dragons' first Auckland Nines squad. He made his club debut for the Dragons in Round 1 of the 2014 NRL season. In Round 13, Joel played his 100th NRL career match against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. He scored his first try for the Dragons in Round 21 against the Sydney Roosters. Joel played 23 matches and scored 3 tries in his first year with the Dragons.
2015: Country Origin Return
Joel was named in St. George's 2015 NRL Auckland Nines squad. On 3 May 2015, he played for NSW Country Origin again in the City vs Country Origin match. He finished the 2015 NRL season playing 19 matches and scoring 3 tries for the Dragons.
2016: Contract Extension
On 13 February 2016, Joel played for the Indigenous All Stars against the World All Stars. In August 2016, he extended his contract with the Dragons until the end of the 2018 season. In Round 25, Joel played his 150th NRL career match. He finished the 2016 NRL season playing 20 matches and scoring 3 tries for the Dragons.
2017: First Hat-trick and New Team
On 10 February 2017, Joel played for the Indigenous All Stars in the 2017 All Stars match. In Round 1, he scored his first career hat-trick of tries against the Penrith Panthers. Joel finished the 2017 NRL season playing 24 matches and scoring 9 tries for the club. In December 2017, he left the Dragons to sign a two-year deal with the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, starting in 2018.
Playing for the Manly Sea Eagles
2018: Manly Debut
In Round 1 of the 2018 NRL season, Joel made his club debut for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles against the Newcastle Knights. He scored his first try for Manly against the Wests Tigers. He also scored two tries against the Brisbane Broncos in Round 10. Joel finished the 2018 NRL season with 24 games and 7 tries.
2019: Reaching the Finals
Joel played 22 matches for Manly in the 2019 NRL season. The team finished 6th and made it to the finals. However, Joel missed the finals series because he broke his arm in Round 23. In October, Joel was hospitalized after an accident where he fell and hit his head.
2020: Moving to Super League
In October 2020, it was announced that Joel Thompson would join St Helens in the Super League on a two-year contract, starting in 2021.
Final Season with St Helens
2021: Super League and Retirement
In Round 1 of the 2021 Super League season, Joel made his debut for St Helens. On 22 June, Joel announced that he would retire from professional rugby league at the end of the 2021 Super League season. On 17 July, he played for St Helens in their 26-12 victory over Castleford in the 2021 Challenge Cup Final. Joel did not play in St Helens' 2021 Super League Grand Final victory.
