Australian boxer and former football star Anthony Mundine has paid an emotional tribute to Lance Thompson, saying he wish he ‘reached out’ to the man ‘who always had my back’.
Thompson, who played NRL for the St George Dragons and Cronulla Sharks, was found dead by his 17-year-old daughter inside his Cronulla unit at 9pm on Thursday.
‘When I first heard the news, I had to ask three or four times if it was legit,’ Mundine said. ‘I’m devastated. I can’t image how his family and kids will feel.’
Mundine and Thompson knew each other for 25 years and went to Kingsgrove High School together, where they won the Buckley Shield in 1993 and played in the grand finals for St George.
Australian boxer and former football player Anthony Mundine (left) paid an emotional tribute to Australian football champion Lance Thompson (right)
Mr Mundine and Mr Thompson knew each other for 25 years and went to Kingsgrove High School together, where they won the Buckley Shield in 1993
‘On the field he was a competitor. He did all the hard, dog stuff that no-one wanted to do. The defence, the scrambling, coming for the hit-ups,’ Mundine told The Daily Telegraph. ‘He was someone you wanted on your team and very competitive. He was a winner’.
Mr Mundine also said that the two of them would stay in touch and often check up on each other every month or so.
‘I’m kicking myself now. I should’ve reached out to him… Sometimes you get caught up and you get busy but when things hit you like this you think how busy were you?’
New South Wales police told Daily Mail Australia they were not treating the 40-year-old’s death as suspicious.
Reports suggest Thompson may have died due to a ‘medical incident’ rather than self-harm.
News of his death on Friday morning prompted an outpouring of love for the former NRL player.
‘Very sad to hear the passing of Lance Thompson overnight, one of my childhood favourites and a local hero who I looked up to and was lucky enough to get to know over the years,’ former Wests Tigers star Keith Galloway said.
‘Champion bloke and player. Rest in peace, mate.’
Lance Thompson, who was found dead aged 40, is pictured with two of his children
The NRL star (pictured in 2006) who played for the St George Dragons and Cronulla Sharks, was found dead by his 17-year-old daughter at his Cronulla unit overnight
‘Very sad to hear the passing of Lance Thompson overnight, one of my childhood favourites and a local hero who I looked up to and was lucky enough to get to know over the years,’ NRL’s Keith Galloway said
Fox Sports commentator Andrew Voss said he was ‘absolutely numb’ at the news of Lance Thompson’s death.
He described him as a ‘genuine and hard-working man’.
‘Shattered for his family. He proved you don’t need to have won Grand Finals or played for your country to be a champion,’ he said.
The Footy Show host Darryl Brohman described his shock at learning at the second rower and proper forward’s passing, saying he’d only had a beer with him the week before.
Thompson made his first grade debut for the St George Dragons in 1995 when he was just 17-years-old.
He played for the club until 2005 when he joined the Cronulla Sharks.
Thompson played for the side for two years before succumbing to a crippling knee injury and simultaneously being diagnosed with type one diabetes – forcing him into an early retirement.
‘Retiring will give me a chance to deal with both my knee and my injuries. It will also help me deal with my diabetes,’ he said at the time.
‘I am absolutely numb at the news of Lance Thompson passing away. If you watched Lance on The Fan this year, you would appreciate what a genuine and hard working man he was,’ Sports Commentator Andrew Voss said
Football champion and father-of-three Lance Thompson (centre) has been found dead by his teenage daughter
Australian Rugby League Commission chair Peter Beattie said Thompson’s death was a loss to the sport.
‘A very sad day for rugby league with the passing of NRL star Lance Thompson,’ Beattie tweeted.
‘A much-loved member of the rugby league community. Condolences to his family.’
Ashton Sims also used social media to pay tribute to his former St George Illawarra teammate .
‘Total loss for words. Lance was one of the toughest forwards I’ve played with and looked after all of us young guys coming through the (Dragons),’ the 33-year-old posted on Twitter.
The NRL star, who played for the St George Dragons and Cronulla Sharks, was found dead by his 17-year-old daughter at his Cronulla unit overnight
The footy legend played 239 games for the NRL across 14 seasons before going on to become coach of the Cronulla side’s reserve-grade.
After retiring from the NRL in 2008, Thompson went on to own a number of restaurants in Sydney Shire.
One of his venues includes the Woolooware Golf Club, a hugely successful restaurant in Sydney’s south.
In a recent interview, Thompson said he was ‘loving’ life in hospitality.
‘I’m loving life, loving the people around me, loving playing golf. So it’s a good thing to be around after footy,’ he said.
The restaurant is frequented by celebrities including singer Shannon Noll.
Lance Thompson is pictured with singer Shannon Noll on June 5, 2008 in Sydney
NRL’s Todd Carney is pictured (front left) at Thompson’s restaurant Thommos Bar and Grill
One of Thompson’s restaurants includes Woolooware Golf Club, a hugely successful restaurant in Sydney’s south (pictured)