The deal was done. Almost.
Last week the story looked finished. Several English outlets were reporting that Henry Pollock had put pen to paper on a new long-term deal at Northampton. This morning, the flanker reopened the file himself.
“Northampton have been brilliant with me, I have spent my whole career here, they have made me who I am. Staying here would be special,” he told reporters first.
Then came the rest.
“I know it is not that simple and there are a lot of factors involved. I am very open to new opportunities and very open to exploring that.”
Twenty-one years old. England international, Lions tourist, a starter for the reigning Premiership champions. And a contract that expires in the summer.
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A million pounds enters the chat
The number has been floating around for weeks. Eddie Hearn, his agent, put it on the table: one million pounds a year. In an English game policed by a salary cap, money like that does not slip past anyone.
Pollock makes no apology for doing the maths in public.
“I am so young that it feels normal to weigh up these options and find the best decision for me,” he said. “Your career is so short that you can look back and almost regret not exploring different paths. You have to be a bit selfish about it. Think about what is right for you. If that is staying here, then fine, I will stay for as long as I need to. If not, I will be open to something else.”
What if the next move is not even rugby?
There is a bigger twist buried in there. The player has not ruled out leaving the sport altogether.
“I want to go and live in different countries, explore new sports, new paths. Eddie and the Matchroom team are calling me all the time with different ideas. I am not going to turn down any opportunity.”
He adds the obvious caveat straight after, that rugby remains the priority for now. The line is still out there.
Premiership directors of rugby will have heard it. So will a few people well outside the Premiership.
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