Thompson skippered the Dogs to their memorable 2013 crown and Illawarra Division to three straight Country Championship titles in his previous stint in the Illawarra.

He also captained NSW Country before spending the past two seasons living and working in Perth. He said slipping back into a Dogs jumper on his return to Wollongong was a no-brainer .

“As soon as I knew I was coming back I got in contact with [Collies official] Brucey Prior and let him know I was super interested in coming back to the club,” Thompson said.

“They’ve been great to me and I couldn’t see myself playing for any club other than Collies. I gave him a call, teed up a meeting and I signed that day.

“I was a bit nervous driving back into the stadium the first time for the first training session but I’m taking it all in and just trying to pick up where I left off.

“There were a few new faces, a few familiar faces but from different clubs so there was a bit of a different look to when I left in 2015. It’s exciting, I’m glad to be back and I’m really enjoying my footy.”

Collies won last year’s title in his absence and Thompson said he walked back into Collegians Sports Centre knowing he needed to re-earn his stripes.

“I think everyone in the side feels some of that pressure,” Thompson said.

“You’ve got a job to and that's to win games. If you’re not helping in that sense you’ve got to find someone who can and I think Fieny’s [coach Nathan Fien] is that kind of coach who can make those tough calls.

“The boys know where they need to be to make the side. There’s a lot of competition so positions are hard to come by, you’ve got to really earn your spot.

“If you’re not playing well you’ve got people knocking on the door so when you get that opportunity you’ve got to nail it. That’s healthy for any team and it’s definitely something we’ve got this season.”

Thompson isn’t the only returning member of the club’s 2013 class, with front-row pair Rory O’Brien and Charlie Faainga also back at the Dogs.

“Back in 2013 we got that [grand final] win with those two in the engine room so it definitely helps the pack having those two there,” Thompson said.

“They did wonders for us in 2013 and they’re doing wonders for us now. They definitely give you a lift when you see them coming back from the kickoff.

“They have a big impact on how we play, just to get that momentum through the ruck makes the halves’ job a lot easier and we can play footy off the back of it.”

The defending premiers made a timely return to form last week, edging out Dapto in a thrilling grand final rematch, and Thompson said they’ll need to be on again when they travel to Thirroul on Saturday.

“You can never sleep on Thirroul, especially at Gibbo Park there,” he said.

“No matter how far in front or behind you are you’re never satisfied because you just know they’ve always got something in the tank for you.

“You’ve got to keep showing up and give them the respect they deserve. They never give up and they’ve got a really tight-knit group there so we need to make sure we do our jobs.

“It’s going to be a really exciting game, that’s for sure.”

Elsewhere in round five, Wests will play host to Berkeley in a first versus third clash at Parrish Park, while Dapto will travel to Rex Jackson Oval to take on Helensburgh.