Henry Pollock says new Saints deal is not signed as fans grow restless

Henry Pollock says he has not signed a new contract with Northampton Saints. Speaking on Monday, 14 September, he knocked back suggestions that a renewal was already done. The wait goes on.

His current deal still has time to run. It was signed in December 2024 and runs to summer 2027. It is thought to be worth £150,000 a year.

The money talk is loud. BBC Sport reported in August that Pollock is set to demand a substantial rise to stay at Franklin's Gardens, the club's home ground in Northampton. Saints have reportedly offered around £400,000 a year. His adviser, boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, has said publicly that Pollock should ask for £1m a year.

Pollock told Sky Sports he is open to exploring all options for his future. He added that Hearn's £1m valuation brings him no pressure.

There is more at stake than club wages. Pollock is one of five Saints named in England's Enhanced Elite Player Squad for the 2026/27 season, a central group of players England want to manage closely. He also holds an England central contract worth about £150,000 a year. Under current rules, he would become ineligible for England once he starts playing his club rugby overseas.

That rapid rise explains why the talks matter. Pollock signed his first professional deal ahead of the 2023/24 season, then signed a new multi-year deal at 19. He moved quickly from age-grade captaincy into the full England picture.

Saints bosses wanted this settled already. Director of rugby Phil Dowson, effectively the club's head coach, said it would have been good to have Pollock's deal sorted three weeks ago. The Times reported on 8 September that he was set to extend to 2029. Pollock's own words on 14 September update that picture. Nothing is signed.

Fans are split. Charles McGillivray, a host of the Saints fan podcast Beneath the Lift Tower, said the stand-off has divided supporters. He added that the majority still back Pollock.

Others are losing patience. Lis Saunders, chair of the Northampton Saints Supporters Group, told BBC Sport that some people are getting fed up with the theatre around the talks. She said fan forums now carry posts telling Pollock to either sign or not, adding that supporters do not need the drama.

For fans, this means a nervous few months rather than an immediate goodbye. With almost two seasons left on his present terms, Saints do not have to sell. But every interview keeps the story alive.