THIS time last year Luke Thompson was beginning his rehabilitation from a brutal bicep injury which ruined his season and also his 2015 representative aspirations.
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Fast forward 12 months and the powerful prop is leading a resurgent Narromine Jets side in Group 11 and preparing to run out for the Western Rams in the Country Championships this weekend.
Thompson tore his bicep from the bone in round two last year and was forced to miss the rest of the season.
He thought it may have signalled the end of his representative footy days but after a big pre-season with Narromine and a strong performance for Group 11 in their win over Group 10 last month he will line up for the Rams this Saturday against the Southern Stars.
"I didn't plan on any of this Group stuff," the Jets captain-coach said.
"Last year I was keen for it all but pulled the bicep off the bone and this time I didn't give it much thought, I just wanted to get going for Narromine.
"But I was happy to make the Group side, it was good to run around with those fellas and play at the higher level."
Playing at the higher level is something Thompson has done many times in the past.
As a teenager he left Narromine for a stint with the Wests Tigers but returned home and went on to win the 2005 Group 11 premiership with the Jets, the last title the club won.
The men in red and white have struggled in recent seasons but have begun 2016 well with two wins from the opening three rounds.
Thompson has been key to their form, along with the likes Corey Cox, former Group 11 winner Daryl Cubby and fellow front-rower Alex Sambrook.
"The first graders we've got now have done the whole pre-season and been there regularly so it's all been a reflection of that," he said.
"It was pleasing to beat Nyngan, they're a good side with a lot of new signings, but then we went back a couple of steps against CYMS over there but we regrouped and were able to beat Wellington."
Thompson's focus may be on his form at Narromine and changing the culture and mentality there, but he is still excited about the prospect of running out in the green jersey on Saturday.
Thompson will start in the front row at Camden's Kirkham Oval in the Tier 2 Country Championship clash, from which the winner will advance to the semi-finals at Dubbo the following weekend.
"We should be able to give it a shake," he said.
"A lot of the talk when we've been at training has been about getting back to Tier 1 so hopefully we can win Tier 2 and get back and build the culture back to where it used to be when Western were at the top."
WESTERN RAMS: 1 Sam Dwyer (Parkes), 2 Riccie Arriola (Oberon), 3 Warren Williams (Cowra), 4 Jyie Chapman (Dubbo CYMS), 5 Kotoni Staggs (Wellington), 6 Colby Pellow (Dubbo CYMS), 7 Jacob Neill (Nyngan), 8 Brent Seager (Bathurst Panthers), 9 Reece Goldsmith (Nyngan), 10 Luke Thompson (Narromine), 11 Ben Maguire (Forbes), 12 Brendan Tago (Parkes), 13 Jake Grace (Forbes), 14 Blake Lawson (Bathurst Panthers), 15 Jarryn Powyer (Dubbo CYMS), 16 Ashley Hazelton (Gilgandra), 17 Brandan West (Lithgow)
