The New Zealand-born striker has been sidelined since losing one point to the Huddersfield Giants on May 2, but only missed three games due to Rhinos’ one-month Covid sacking.
Leeds will finally be back in action when they visit the Salford Red Devils on Sunday, and he affirmed, “I have a choice.”
The hip injury that kept Thompson out of Rhinos’ last three games was the latest in a series of “niggles” – including a broken rib – that have hampered him since the second round of the Betfred Super League.
Log In to our daily newsletter
The i-newsletter cut through the noise
He said: “I was injured after the Huddersfield game but now I am fit again.
“I had some fluid in my hip and it took a good three or four weeks to get rid of it.
“It was a strange injury, not a major one, just one of those that take time to heal.
“Now everything is good.”
Bodene Thompson. Image by Allan McKenzie / SWpix.com.
Bodene Thompson. Image by Allan McKenzie / SWpix.com.
Thompson admitted that his time on the victim list – meaning he missed victories over Wakefield Trinity and Castleford Tigers, as well as one loss to Hull – was “frustrating”.
But he emphasized: “I saw it positively.
“I had a couple of tricky little injuries, I hurt my ankle a week before, and I also played with a broken rib that no one knew about.
“I had three injuries to deal with, so I really took the time to get those injuries under control and make sure I was ready to go.
“That’s all taken care of, so the last three weeks have actually been a blessing just to put the body in order for the rest of the year.”
Thompson announced that his rib was broken in the derby against the Tigers on April 2.
“We didn’t know about it until I was scanned,” he said.
“I wanted to play the week after, but they pulled me out of this game.
“I’ve been playing with it for the next week and it’s just one of those things.
“You can play with it, but I was struggling to breathe because it was one of my floating ribs, deep and behind your back.
“There was pressure on it near the lungs.
“I ended up sustaining too many injuries so they decided to give me a break and then all of this happened so I used the time to do everything right and get myself back to 100 percent.
“It will be nice to run without holding your breath.
“I made contact and wrestling and everything was fine, I didn’t even think about it.
“That’s a good thing, I just have to familiarize myself with the work in the training paddock and make sure that I’m ready to go.”
Rhinos were due to play at Salford tomorrow, but the game has been postponed for two days to allow them to field a team.
With players backed by Friday’s international match and others missing due to Covid and injuries, Thompson admitted they’ll have to dig deep.
He said, “It’s going to be a big challenge, but we have to get up and make sure we’re doing our best.”
Support the YEP and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news and the latest from Leeds United. With a digital subscription you will see fewer ads, enjoy faster loading times and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.