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All Blacks prospect reportedly next on NRL's hit list
By Ned Lester
The NRL’s recently proposed salary cap exemption for rival code talent has reportedly found its first Kiwi target, with Chiefs young gun Tyrone Thompson reportedly receiving interest from his twin brother’s club, the Newcastle Knights.
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The Thompson twins have each been identified as hugely promising talents in their respective codes, with Leo representing New Zealand in the recent Pacific Championship, and Tyrone earning a Maori All Blacks cap against Ireland before a selection in the 2023 All Blacks XV tour to Japan.
Born in Gisborne, the brothers parted ways in 2020 as Leo moved to Canberra to pursue an opportunity with the Raiders, while Tyrone opted to represent his home province and familiar code in Waikato.
Tyrone has been named in the 2024 Chiefs Super Rugby Pacific squad and has one year remaining on his contract with New Zealand Rugby, but according to a NewsCorp report, may be assessing his options for 2025.
Newcastle’s interest may offer an appealing career move given his brother’s success at the club, having a breakthrough 2023 campaign.
Although, at just 23 and already on the cusp of higher honours, leaving home would undoubtedly be a mammoth sacrifice given an All Blacks jersey may be within reach.
A chunk of cash would help get the athletic young hooker over that loss, and the NRL may be close to greenlighting a rule change that would allow that cash to be offered.
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“Would salary-cap relief be potentially used? Yes,” NRL chief Andrew Abdo said of his desire to attract “the best athletes.”
“That’s an absolute possibility that the commission will consider, and consider in due course.”
“Any change the commission might make to that policy will have to be very carefully considered, and there will be parameters and caps.
“It won’t be a free-for-all.
“It will be delicate and it will be about making sure there’s an opportunity for all clubs on an equal basis to have one or two talented players that they recruit potentially from other codes around the world.
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“It’ll be carefully considered though, because we do want to make sure that we focus on our pathways, and we also want to maintain competitive balance.”
Thompson will again play understudy to Samisoni Taukei’aho in 2024, but with the Chiefs primed for another dominant Super Rugby Pacific season and Taukei’aho’s All Blacks rest requirements, Thompson will likely play a decisive role in the team’s title run.
Tyrone’s a great footballer, possibly better that his brother even. I love to see a player like him, who puts me in mind of a big South African version of Dane Coles, choose to play hooker but his skill set would probably be better utilized in League. Would love to see him playing well enough to become and AB within a couple of years but it’s hard to see it being next year. He would have to give up on it or end up not playing either code long enough to reach his potential.
I hope the NRLs idea is not to just dump cash on athletic freaks. Would love to also see average rugby players but who look clearly much more suited to league being targeted, and without the massive sums and spotlight of course.
But NRL being an aussie show the predictably thing would likely be them making it about themselves rather than a player opportunity. Not that rugby can be excused from dumping converts too quickly.