Riley Pollard has re-signed with the Cronulla Sharks until the end of the 2028 season, as the promising young halfback shows serious signs of being a star.
The 21-year-old had already been contracted for the 2027 season, but the new deal comes after his impressive season through the Cronulla pathways system and his taste of NRL football in 2026.
Pollard debuted for the Cronulla Sharks in Round 27 in their clash against the Melbourne Storm. He established himself after establishing himself in his two previous seasons for the Newtown Jets in the NSW Cup.
The opportunity to continue his development at the Sharks is exciting for Pollard.
“I love it here; Cronulla is exactly where I want to be,” Pollard said, speaking to Sharks.com.au
“Everyone wants to play NRL. I had a taste of it this year, and I'm keen to keep learning off the senior players and the coaching staff.”
The young halfback joined the Cronulla Sharks ahead of their 2024 season after representing St Dominics College Kingswood and being selected for the Australian Schoolboys team.
He progressed through the Cronulla junior system, going from SG Ball to Jersey Flegg and making his debut playing Senior Rugby League with the Newtown Jets.
Although Pollard was still eligible for Jersey Flegg, he has spent two seasons with the Jets and played 36 games.
Pollard's statistics speak for themselves in his 24 games this season with the NSW Cup side. Pollard scored 11 tries, kicked 48 goals and had 16 try assists. He also had a tackle efficiency of over 85%, and his performance in their round 25 clash against the leaders, the North Sydney Bears that projected the Newtown side into the finals.
That excellent performance landed him his NRL debut.
Cronulla Sharks' General Manager of Football, Darren Mooney, said the club has been thrilled by not only the progress Pollard has made but also his natural ability since arriving at the club.
“Riley was an outstanding junior and an Australian Schoolboys representative, but what has impressed us most is the way he has continued to develop and improve at senior level,” Mooney said to Sharks.com.au
“He has worked hard on his game and put himself in a position where he is ready to compete for a place in the NRL side.”
Pollard's debut in the NRL was a challenging game for not only Pollard but Cronulla. The young halfback came up against the lethal combination of Jahrome Hughes and Cameron Munster. However, Mooney believes that the 21-year-old belongs at the NRL level.
“On debut, against a world-class halves pairing in Cameron Munster and Jahrome Hughes, he played strongly, looked comfortable at the level and certainly didn't look out of place,” Mooney said.
“We have high hopes for what he can achieve in the years ahead.”
The contract extension gives Pollard the opportunity to develop his game alongside an emerging group of young halves whilst being around experienced NRL players and coaching staff.
The next two seasons will provide Pollard the platform for something much bigger, and Pollard assures fans that Cronulla is home for him.
“Cronulla is definitely the club I want to be at to continue my career.”
