Tyrone Thompson joined twin brother Leo as the starting props for Newcastle Knight in their loss to Wests Tigers which means there have been five Kiwi-NRL debuts in six rounds this season. Maraenui junior Tyrone was initially named on the bench but started in the number 15 jersey and played 33 minutes with 5 runs - 44m @ 8.8m/run, 2 tackle breaks and 21 tackles @ 72.4% efficiency.

For context of what Tyrone may be capable of with more game time in rugby league, Leo had a typically hearty outing vs Tigers with 58mins, 10 runs - 97m @ 9.7m/run, 2 tackle breaks and 46 tackles @ 95.8%. Given that Tyrone had only played three games of NSW Cup before making his NRL debut, there is plenty of potential in what he offers Knights moving forward to help fill some of the void left by Leo's departure at the end of the season.

Here's how Tyrone went in his three NSW Cup games...

vs Magpies: 22mins, 3 runs - 35m @ 11.6m/run, 18 tackles @ 100%
vs Panthers: 49mins, 1 try, 9 runs - 77m @ 8.5m/run, 4 tackle breaks, 32 tackles @ 96.9%
vs Bulldogs: 44mins, 11 runs - 98m @ 8.9m/run, 1 tackle break, 2 offloads, 24 tackles @ 88.8%

To support The Niche Cache you can join the Patreon whanau or donate through Buy Me A Coffee. A little goes a long way to fund our mahi. Chur

Leo is in the midst of his best NRL season with 54.3mins, 39 tackles and 108m per game all the highest of his four seasons at Knights. Now he's joined by Tyrone who averaged 38.3mins, 24.6 tackles and 70m per game in his first three games of NSW Cup. They share a swift rise at Knights as Leo moved from the Raiders system to Knights ahead of the 2022 season and made his debut in round one, while Tyrone debuted after a few games of reserve grade after moving to Newcastle.

Both came from rugby union but the funky union to league crossover is on show here. Leo played midfield in rugby union and Tyrone was a hooker, yet both play through the middle in rugby league. Tyrone will probably stay above 40 minutes if he goes back down to NSW Cup and build up his grinding stamina or he could develop as a bench forward who is probably better served playing 20-25mins in the middle phase of the game.

There is a decent chance that Tryone develops into a contender for Aotearoa Kiwis over the next 12 months. The prospect of the Thompson twins playing international rugby league together is fantastic but Tyrone has to keep his spot in the Knights top-17 and offer the same ruthless mahi as Leo in big minutes.

Smash an ad. Every Monday and Friday we fire off an email newsletter so if you love New Zealand sports then sign up.

Peace and love.