Ray Thompson (rugby League)
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Ray Thompson (born 20 January 1990), also known by the
nickname A nickname, in some circumstances also known as a sobriquet, or informally a "moniker", is an informal substitute for the proper name of a person, place, or thing, used to express affection, playfulness, contempt, or a particular character trait ...
of "Ray-Ray", is a former
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...
international
rugby league Rugby league football, commonly known as rugby league in English-speaking countries and rugby 13/XIII in non-Anglophone Europe, is a contact sport, full-contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular Rugby league playin ...
footballer who played as a and . He was an Indigenous All Stars representative and spent his entire professional career with the
North Queensland Cowboys The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest city in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL). Sinc ...
in the
National Rugby League The National Rugby League (also known as the NRL Telstra Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria (state), Victoria, the Austral ...
(NRL).


Background

Born in
Cairns, Queensland Cairns (; ) is a city in the Cairns Region, Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. In the , Cairns had a population of 153,181 people. The city was founded in 1876 and named after Sir William Welling ...
, Thompson is of Indigenous Australian and
Papua New Guinean Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...
descent. He played his junior football for Centrals ASA Tigers and attended
Kirwan State High School Kirwan State High School is a coeducational state school located in Kirwan, Queensland, Kirwan, Townsville, Queensland, Australia, approximately from the Townsville, Queensland, Townsville central business district, CBD. In 2017, it has 1997 st ...
before being signed by the
North Queensland Cowboys The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest city in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL). Sinc ...
. In 2007 as a 17-year-old. Thompson played a match for the Cowboys now folded feeder club the
North Queensland Young Guns The North Queensland Young Guns were a rugby league team competing in the Queensland Cup. They acted as a feeder team for the North Queensland Cowboys. The Cowboys had previously entered reserve grade teams in the Australian Rugby League and Su ...
as experience for 2008 when the under 20's competition started. Thompson played 21 matches in the
NYC New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive wit ...
in 2008 where he was one of the club's leading scorers playing at . In the opening round of the 2009 NYC season, Thompson injured his shoulder and required a shoulder reconstruction which kept him out of action until Round 19 of the season. He played another 7 games after coming back from surgery.


Playing career


2009

In Round 26, Thompson made his
NRL The National Rugby League (also known as the NRL Telstra Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria (state), Victoria, the Austral ...
debut for the Cowboys against the
Sydney Roosters Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club, known as the Sydney Roosters are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Sydney's Eastern Suburbs (Sydney), Eastern Suburbs. The club competes in the National Rugby Lea ...
off the interchange bench in a 32–16 win at SFS. It was his sole appearance for the year.


2010

Thompson played in the opening 3 games of the
NYC New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive wit ...
in 2010 until being called into the Cowboys NRL squad as a replacement for the out of form Grant Rovelli. Thompson had been one of the Cowboys best players in Rounds 4-7 before being cruelly hit by another shoulder injury that kept him out for the rest of the
season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...
.


2011

In the pre-season, Thompson was in a battle with Ben Jones and Michael Morgan for the Round 1 spot at after the club had failed to make the top 8 in three consecutive seasons. The club had bought over 18 new players in 2011. Thompson ended up winning the five-eighth spot . In Round 21 against the
Penrith Panthers The Penrith Panthers are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in the Greater Western Sydney suburb of Penrith, New South Wales, Penrith that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL). The team is based west of the cen ...
, Thompson scored his first NRL try in the 30–18 win at
1300SMILES Stadium The Willows Sports Complex (last known as 1300SMILES Stadium due to naming rights) was a grass football stadium situated in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was used predominantly as a rugby league ground as the home ground of the North Que ...
. Thompson went on to play in all of the Cowboys 25 matches, scoring on try. He was named the Cowboys most improved player at the end of the
season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...
. Thompson played in the
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...
side to take on Australia PM's 13 played in
Lae, Papua New Guinea Lae (, , later ) is the capital of Morobe Province and is the second-largest city in Papua New Guinea. It is located near the delta of the Markham River on the northern coast of Huon Gulf. It is at the start of the Highlands Highway, which is the ...
on 25 September 2011, where he was named PNG'S player of the match after he set up two tries and scored one himself in the 36–22 loss.


2012

The pre-season saw Thompson in yet another battle for a Cowboys jersey, this time the 7. The club had signed former
Wests Tigers The Wests Tigers is an Australian professional rugby league football team, based in the Inner West of Sydney and South Western Sydney. The Tigers have competed in the National Rugby League (NRL) since being formed at the end of the 1999 N ...
halfback
Robert Lui Robert Lui (born 23 February 1990) is an Australian professional rugby league footballer who plays as a or for the Townsville Blackhawks in the Queensland Cup. He has previously played for the Wests Tigers and the North Queensland Cowboys i ...
to the club. Thompson had the upper hand in the battle after Lui was ruled out until Round 2 with a knee injury. Thompson started the year at Halfback, with Lui playing
Queensland Cup The Queensland Cup, currently known as the Hostplus Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the highest-level regional rugby league, rugby league football competition in Queensland, Australia. It is run by the Queensland Rugby League, Queensland Rugby ...
. Lui was later suspended for the whole of the
2012 NRL season The 2012 NRL season was the 105th season of professional rugby league club competition in Australia, and the first run by the newly formed Australian Rugby League Commission. The main competition, called the 2012 NRL Telstra Premiership due to spon ...
for off-field incidents, meaning Thompson would play the season in the number 7 jersey. On 18 May 2012, Thompson extended his contract his contract with the Cowboys for a further 3 years, to the end of the 2015 season. In Round 23 against the
New Zealand Warriors The Warriors are a professional rugby league football club based in Auckland, New Zealand that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership and is the League's only team from outside Australia. They were formed in 1995 as the Aucklan ...
, Thompson was ruled out for the rest of the year, requiring his third shoulder reconstruction in his career. He scored 5 tries from 18 matches in 2012.


2013

Throughout the early half of the 2013 NRL season, Thompson played in a rotating hooker position with fellow Cowboys teammate
Rory Kostjasyn Rory Kostjasyn (born 6 June 1987) is a former Ireland national rugby league team, Ireland international rugby league footballer. He played in the National Rugby League (NRL) for the Melbourne Storm and North Queensland Cowboys, with whom he was ...
. In Round 22 against the Penrith Panthers, Thompson scored a hat trick in the Cowboys 36–4 win at
Penrith Stadium Penrith Stadium, currently known as BlueBet Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a rugby league and association football stadium located in Penrith, New South Wales, Australia. The 22,500 capacity venue is the home ground for the Penrith Panthe ...
. Thompson was the first NRL player to record 50 tackles and 3 score tries in a match, scoring the tries within 11 minutes. In Round 24, Thompson's year ended after suffering a broken jaw in a shoulder charge tackle from Newcastle Knights prop
Kade Snowden Kade Snowden (born 31 December 1986) is a former professional rugby league footballer of the Biddabah nation, who played as a in the 2000s and 2010s. He began his career at the Newcastle Knights and made his first grade debut in 2005 in the o ...
. Thompson finished the
2013 NRL season The 2013 NRL season was the 106th season of professional rugby league club competition in Australia. The National Rugby League's main competition, named the 2013 Telstra Premiership after major sponsors Telstra Corporation, was contested by sixt ...
with him playing in 19 matches and scoring 3 tries. Thompson was selected in the
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...
squad for the
2013 Rugby League World Cup The 2013 Rugby League World Cup was the fourteenth World Cup for men’s national rugby league teams. It took place between the 26 October and 30 November and was hosted by England and Wales (although some games were played in France and Ire ...
, playing in all 3 matches in the tournament.


2014

In February 2014, Thompson was selected in the
Cowboys A cowboy is a professional pastoralist or mounted livestock herder, usually from the Americas or Australia. Cowboy(s) or The Cowboy(s) may also refer to: Film and television * ''Cowboy'' (1958 film), starring Glenn Ford * ''Cowboy'' (1966 film), ...
winning inaugural
2014 Auckland Nines The 2014 NRL Auckland Nines (known as the Dick Smith NRL Auckland Nines due to sponsorship) was the first NRL Auckland Nines tournament, contested between all sixteen teams of the National Rugby League. The draw was released on 30 October 2013 ...
squad. Thompson finished the
year A year is a unit of time based on how long it takes the Earth to orbit the Sun. In scientific use, the tropical year (approximately 365 Synodic day, solar days, 5 hours, 48 minutes, 45 seconds) and the sidereal year (about 20 minutes longer) ...
with him playing in 22 matches and scoring one try.


2015

Thompson again played in the Cowboys
Auckland Nines The NRL Nines is a rugby league nines competition, normally held during the NRL preseason each year. It was initially held in Auckland, New Zealand, between 2014 and 2017 before going on hiatus. Returning in 2020, hosting duties moved to Per ...
squad. On 13 February, he was selected at for the Indigenous All Stars in the 2015 All Stars match at Cbus Super Stadium. The Indigenous side won 20–6 over the NRL All Stars. Thompson started the season with him playing for the
Townsville Blackhawks The Townsville & Districts Blackhawks are an Australian semi-professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, Queensland. They compete in Queensland's top rugby league competition, the Queensland Cup. The club was admitted to the Que ...
in the
Queensland Cup The Queensland Cup, currently known as the Hostplus Cup for sponsorship reasons, is the highest-level regional rugby league, rugby league football competition in Queensland, Australia. It is run by the Queensland Rugby League, Queensland Rugby ...
before earning a recall to the first grade team in Round 8 against the
Newcastle Knights The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league team based in Newcastle, New South Wales that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, the Knights joined the top-tier competition in New ...
. On 2 May, Thompson played hooker for
Papua New Guinea Papua New Guinea, officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is an island country in Oceania that comprises the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and offshore islands in Melanesia, a region of the southwestern Pacific Ocean n ...
against
Fiji Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...
in the 2015 Melanesian Cup in the Kumul's 22–10 loss at Cbus Super Stadium. Mid-season, Thompson extended his contract with the Cowboys to the end of the 2017 season. Thompson was the Cowboys 18th man for their
2015 NRL Grand Final The 2015 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2015 NRL season and was played on Sunday 4 October at Sydney's ANZ Stadium between the Brisbane Broncos and North Queensland Cowboys. North Queensland won the ma ...
against Queensland rivals the
Brisbane Broncos The Brisbane Broncos are an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Red Hill, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland. Founded in April 1987, the Broncos compete in the National Rugby League (NRL) and play their home games at ...
, not taking part in the match. He finished the
season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's axial tilt, tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperat ...
with one try from 9 matches. On 15 December, Thompson was named in the interchange bench for the Indigenous All Stars team to play against the
World All Stars The NRL All Stars team was a rugby league football team made up of professional players in the National Rugby League. These players were selected by fan vote. However, fans were only allowed to select one player from each NRL team to join the Au ...
on 13 February 2016.


2016

On 2 February 2016, Thompson was named in the Cowboys 2016 Auckland Nines squad. On 12 February 2016, the day before the 2016 All Stars match, Thompson injured his ankle at the Indigenous All Stars last training session before the match. Thompson is expected to miss about 12–14 weeks of football. In Round 12 against the
St George Illawarra Dragons The St. George Illawarra Dragons are an Australian professional rugby league football club, representing both the Illawarra and St George regions of New South Wales. The club has competed in the National Rugby League (NRL) since 1999 after a j ...
, Thompson made his return from injury, starting at halfback to replace
Johnathan Thurston Johnathan Dean Thurston (born 25 April 1983) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the National Rugby League (NRL). Thurston was an Australian international, Queensland State of Origin and Indigenous All ...
while he was on Origin duties in the Cowboys 14–10 loss at
WIN Stadium Wollongong Showground, known as WIN Stadium for sponsorship reasons, is a multi-purpose stadium located in Wollongong, Australia. The stadium was officially opened in 1911. From 1982 until 1998 it played host to every home match for the Illawa ...
. In Round 13 against the
Newcastle Knights The Newcastle Knights are an Australian professional rugby league team based in Newcastle, New South Wales that competes in the National Rugby League (NRL) premiership. Playing in red and blue, the Knights joined the top-tier competition in New ...
, Thompson played his 100th
NRL The National Rugby League (also known as the NRL Telstra Premiership for sponsorship reasons) is a professional rugby league competition in Oceania which contains clubs from New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria (state), Victoria, the Austral ...
career match and scored 2 tries in a Man of the Match-winning effort in the Cowboys 46–16 win at
1300SMILES Stadium The Willows Sports Complex (last known as 1300SMILES Stadium due to naming rights) was a grass football stadium situated in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It was used predominantly as a rugby league ground as the home ground of the North Que ...
.


2017

On 8 August, Thompson announced he would retire from rugby league following the
2017 NRL season The 2017 NRL season was the 110th season of professional rugby league in Australia and the 20th season run by the National Rugby League. The season started in New Zealand with the annual Auckland Nines, and was followed by the All Stars Match, ...
, citing persistent knee injuries. On 1 October, he was the 18th man for the Cowboys in their
2017 NRL Grand Final The 2017 NRL Grand Final was the conclusive and premiership-deciding game of the 2017 National Rugby League season and was played on Sunday October 1 at Sydney's ANZ Stadium. The match was contested between minor premiers the Melbourne Storm ...
loss to the
Melbourne Storm The Melbourne Storm is a rugby league football club based in Melbourne, Victoria (Australia), Victoria, Australia that participates in the National Rugby League (NRL). The club plays its home games at AAMI Park, and wears a purple and navy blu ...
. On 6 October, he was named the Cowboys' Club Person of the Year.


Achievements and accolades


Individual

* North Queensland Cowboys Club Person of the Year: 2017 * North Queensland Cowboys Most Improved: 2011


Team

*
2014 NRL Auckland Nines The 2014 NRL Auckland Nines (known as the Dick Smith NRL Auckland Nines due to sponsorship) was the first NRL Auckland Nines tournament, contested between all sixteen teams of the National Rugby League. The draw was released on 30 October 2013 ...
:
North Queensland Cowboys The North Queensland Cowboys is an Australian professional rugby league football club based in Townsville, the largest city in North Queensland. They compete in Australia's premier rugby league competition, the National Rugby League (NRL). Sinc ...
– Winners


Statistics


NRL

: ''Statistics are correct to the end of the 2016 season''


International


Personal life

Thompson and his partner Sabrina Galliozzi have one child together, a daughter named Ivy Rae. Following his retirement, Thompson joined the Cowboys' community team as an engagement and programs officer, working with former teammate
Matthew Bowen Matthew Jeremy Bowen (born 9 March 1982) is an Australian former professional rugby league footballer who played in the 2000s and 2010s. An Australia international and Queensland State of Origin representative , he played in the National Rugb ...
.


References


External links


North Queensland Cowboys profileNRL profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, Ray 1990 births Living people Australian rugby league players Australian people of Papua New Guinean descent Indigenous All Stars players Papua New Guinea national rugby league team players People educated at Kirwan State High School PNG Prime Minister's XIII players North Queensland Cowboys players Northern Pride RLFC players Rugby league five-eighths Rugby league players from Cairns Rugby league halfbacks Rugby league hookers Townsville Blackhawks players 21st-century Australian sportsmen