Sorry Hearn, Northampton Saints idiots if they pay Pollock £1m
Is Henry Pollock worth £1m per season? No. Sorry to burst an Eddie Hearn-shaped bubble but it is just not realistic in the world of rugby union.
The business of rugby – especially in England – is to fund a squad of more than 30 players within a salary cap of just over £6m, rising slightly to accommodate rewards for England players and academy graduates – of which Pollock is both.
Outside of this cap can sit one star, a marquee player. They have no wage ceiling and, in theory, can be given the world. A pipe dream for flavour of the month Pollock, who this year joined a stable of athletes in a Matchroom Talent Agency that features the likes of Katie Taylor and Jack Catterall. Beyond the agency sits the Matchroom empire, encompassing the likes of Luke Littler’s presence in darts, Anthony Joshua in the boxing ring and Ronnie O’Sullivan with the cue.
Pollock would qualify to be a marquee in the 2027-28 season, after his contract comes to an end at the end of the coming season, but the reality is that flankers just don’t command that salary in the Prem.
Pollock compeititon
The average back-row earned £192,358 in the 2024-25 season, £15,000 more than the average centre but over £60,000 less than a fly-half. It is a much-coveted position but a squad could sign three solid £300,000 players – double Pollock’s current £150,000 wage – for the hypothetical £1m Pollock salary.
But beyond that there’s a lesson here in team sports for Hearn. Many of the big names in sports he talks about, such as Joshua in boxing and Littler in darts, are solo players in sports in which Matchroom has a major interest in.
Littler is winning title after title whereas Joshua is old enough to earn fights based on a legacy that stretches back well over a decade. Pollock doesn’t have this in a team sport.
What he does have is star quality, youthful brilliance and an ability to get people talking. This is worth millions, but not in club wages. The off-field commercial opportunities that are in front of Pollock are where he should be looking.
How could it work?
A theoretical solution to his so-called wage woes would be to see out his Northampton Saints contract and go to the World Cup before signing for a French Top 14 club or an Australian rugby league team until 2029.
He would want an Olympics clause in there and the ability to be picked for the British and Irish Lions trip to New Zealand, having toured with the team last time but failed to start a Test. Then back to union ahead of the 2031 World Cup in the United States, by which time he would have played in Los Angeles in 2028 and could be a megastar. That’s without mentioning the mothballed R360 project.
Opportunity remains the buzzword for Pollock, who is undoubtedly one of the most exciting players in England at the moment. But let’s not kid ourselves.
If Northampton Saints shell out £1m for Pollock, at the expense of a team whose cohesion has seen them win the Prem and reach the Champions Cup final in the last two years, they’re, quite frankly, idiotic.
Ollie Phillips is the founder of Optimist Performance and part of a LooseHeadz world record attempt for the longest rugby sevens match. Follow Ollie @OlliePhillips11 and donate online