Thompson continuing passion post-footy

Rugby league took Joel Thompson to places he couldn't have even dreamed of as a child, but it's back at home working with people from the same type of communities he grew up in that he feels happiest. 

The former Raiders, Dragons and Sea Eagles back-rower, who finished up with a stint at St Helens in 2021, is in his element working for THEE Group in a role which sees him focussed on business development, alongside continuing his passion for helping people into training and employment.

The company is owned by Jed Holdsworth, who was Thompson's best man at his wedding and has built the company up after originally starting out as a worker on the railways. 

"We come from housing commission, we didn't have much," Thompson tells NRL.com.

"I worked hard at football and Jed worked hard on the railways from a young age.

The people we are working with come from similar environments to us, and we want to show them that you can build a successful career.

Joel Thompson

Along with attracting new business and contracts for the company, which offers a multi-disciplined service through rail construction and maintenance, civil, mining, labour hire and plant hire, Thompson plays a hands-on role in the recruitment and training side of the business. 

After starting to further his education while at the Raiders early in his career, with the support the NRL and RLPA the 34-year-old gained certificates in youth services and alcohol and drug education at the Dragons, along with qualifications in mental health first aid and a diploma in community services. 

"This sort of role gives me a bit of that stuff. At times I work with people that have been in and out of jail, or people that haven't been working, and I can come and support them, get them into training and get them working to build careers," Thompson says. 

"That's the best part of my job to be honest, it still aligns with who I am and what I like doing, which is giving guys and girls an opportunity to build a career. 

"The other day I had a guy ring me who had been in and out of trouble with the Police. We got him into doing some training, got him working, and now he is taking his family on their first holiday and doing stuff like that, which makes it all pretty special."

In a career which saw him play 234 NRL games and represent NSW Country, Thompson said captaining the Indigenous All Stars in 2020 stands out as one of his proudest achievements. 

Now living on the Gold Coast, he continues to work with the NRL State of Mind program and still laces up the boots to take part in Indigenous tournaments the Koori Knockout and Murri Carnival.

"That's the only time I will be playing footy. It is good to connect with my people, the community I come from and the people I grew up with," he says. 

"To play with my little cousins, I enjoy it, and there's something special about playing that type of footy in carnivals."