Barrett trades Dragons for Wigan
By Brent Read
May 4, 2006
LANCE Thompson yesterday spoke of his fondness for his former club St George-Illawarra as his former Dragons co-captain Trent Barrett prepared to announce he was leaving the club at the end of the season to join English giant Wigan.
Barrett, the Dragons's captain, has scheduled a press conference for today where he is expected to confirm he has exercised a clause in his contract which allows him to leave the club at the end of 2006.
His imminent departure, and a likely rise in the salary cap to $4 million, opens the way for the Dragons to raise their offer to centre Mark Gasnier, who is being wooed by the Australian Rugby Union.
Barrett is the highest paid player at St George Illawarra, a mantle which will be taken up by Gasnier if he decides to remain in the NRL and accept a deal expected to be worth about $500,000 a season to stay.
Former team-mate Thompson, who left the club at the end of last season, is loving life at Cronulla - and the feeling is mutual.
Sharks officials are so pleased with his form they are poised to open negotiations with a view to extending his contract beyond this season.
After an ugly divorce from the Dragons, Thompson and Cronulla have been a match made in heaven.
"I've really been enjoying my footy, which is something that has probably been missing the last couple of years," Thompson said yesterday in the lead-up to Sunday's game against his old club at Toyota Park. "With the way the Sharks play, I was always going to fit in. I'm a team player and that's all I ever wanted to be.
"Some people said I wasn't that but it's quite the opposite. I've fitted in well and the way the boys at the Sharks have accepted me has been tremendous."
Even so, Thompson still holds a soft spot for the Dragons. He was a St George junior, then played 201 first grade games with the club before his time came to an inglorious end.
Thompson fell out with senior club officials late last year, the precursor to an acrimonious departure.
He finished up joining the Dragons's local rival and his form has been outstanding. Thompson has appeared in the Sharks's opening eight games and leads the club in hit-ups and running metres.
He's also won over his teammates with his passion and desire, commodities the 28-year-old has traded on his entire career.
"He's brought hunger," acting captain and halfback Adam Dykes said. "When he arrived on day one he struggled a little bit to get used to the new environment but after a week or so he jumped straight into it. He's been our best trainer and I think he's been our best player all year."
Cronulla chief executive Greg Pierce confirmed he was ready to open negotiations with Thompson's manager Khoder Nasser.
"I had discussions with Lance this morning," Pierce said.
"I asked if he was interested in staying. He said he was happy, he would love to stay."
Thompson is keen to produce another big performance on Sunday. He has fond memories of his days in a Dragons shirt and stands behind only Barrett in the number of first grade games played for the joint venture club.
"I'll probably always be a Dragons fan, no matter who I play for," Thompson said.
Even so, his allegiance now lies with the Sharks, and that spells danger for St George Illawarra.
"There's not too many nerves," he said. "The games are always fiery, the crowds always big. The local derby is the type of game you always look forward to. This time I'm on the other side.
"This week all I've got to focus on is my own game and what I've been doing since the start of the season, which is concentrate on my footy and try to make sure the Sharks get a win."
Parramatta has tabled an offer for centre Jamie Lyon, who walked out on the club one match into the 2004 season.
Lyon is playing in England with St Helens and his manager met Eels officials yesterday.
The Australian