Pathways Riley Pollard

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Couldn’t find a Flegg thread, though didn’t look too hard.

Riley Pollard the Australian schoolboy we got from Penrith this year is on the extended bench. Must have gotten an early release I guess.
 
Impressive highlights.

Riley Pollard (in jersey 21) looks like something special. Like a young Chad Townsend :) He did get run over for one try, but the break he made, and the pass selection for the later try to Gabrael were top shelf.

Gabrael looks a class above.

A nice pass from Nikora Williams for another try.

The fullback Sandy also had some very nice touches.

I assume the forwards set it all up, but hard to judge them from the highlights.
 
Riley Pollard has been upgraded to a Dev Deal and extended to 2027
 
The Cronulla Sharks have upgraded the contracts of one of their most promising playmakers as they invest in the future.


Named as halfback for the 2023 Australian Schoolboys team and former NSW representative in touch football, Riley Pollard has been progressing through the club's ranks and could potentially make his NRL first-grade debut next season.

Previously joining from the Penrith Panthers, Zero Tackle can reveal that the Cronulla Sharks have upgraded the contract of Pollard.

This will see him join the club's development list for next season - alongside Liam Ison - before progressing into the club's Top 30 roster for the 2027 NRL season.

Starting in the SG Ball Cup at the beginning of the year, he has become the number one option in attack for the Sharks Jersey Flegg Cup team and is destined to be the perfect backup to Nicho Hynes and Braydon Trindall.

Before this season began, he was meant to feature in the NRL Pre-Season Challenge before being ruled out due to concussion.

His inclusion into the club's Top 30 roster for the 2027 season makes him the third player signed for that season following Addin Fonua-Blake and Nicho Hynes.
 
SF said:
I generally see at least half of the Flegg before Sharks game, but it can be hard to focus on the games, no atmosphere, and often not much of a contest. Coutts looks a good prospect to me. Seen a couple of games where he's been scoring tries and running good lines. Probably needs to market himself and get a highlights reel going :)

Gabrael developing well, I'm pretty sure he'll get to NRL. The NSW U19s game showed his ability.

With Bradbury I don't know whether he'll ever have the lateral defense/agility, ACL probably won't help that. As said above though, he's very young, so not writing him off. And again... really I don't watch it well enough to fully judge.
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Riley Pollard seems to get a lot of good feedback too. They say he’ll play more NSW Cup next year. i haven’t watched him as yet but they say he has all the hallmarks of an organising half with a good kicking game.
 
ben said:
It may be old news, but i just saw we signed a gun junior penrith halfback (cant remember his name), plus we have the 2023 aussie schoolboy half in riley pollard. Does anyone know how well these guys go?
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I think Pollard is the gun Penrith halfback mate unless we signed another one?

He goes good. Took a few games to get used to Flagg as he played SG at the start but he’s adjusted has been key to our winning streak.

Seems to have all the tricks - running , kicking and passing. Excellent goal kicker. He also seems very talkative and doesn’t mind getting into his opposition so he has some swagger.

He’s a while away though. Can’t see him playing first grade till 2026 at the absolute earliest and that would be a game here or there.

He can still play Flegg next year I believe but I think he should get some Jets games
 
From a recent DT article about which future prospects clubs will build their future around.

Sharks
Player: Riley Pollard Position: Halfback. After starring for the Panthers SG Ball in 2023, the Australian Schoolboy playmaker was lured to the Sharks’ academy later that year. Boasting a beautiful temperament, which includes a superb passing and kicking game, Pollard is closer to NRL selection than most would believe. Contracted to the Sharks until the end of 2027.
 
He was putting on some good shots in defence during the Flegg game on Friday.

Good to see, as his defence has been his biggest weakness so far in NSW Cup.
 
SF said:
He was putting on some good shots in defence during the Flegg game on Friday.

Good to see, as his defence has been his biggest weakness so far in NSW Cup.
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Yeah I think that’s why he went back down, halves aren’t known for their defence but you could tell he was struggling to adjust to the back to back workload.
 
Fitzgibbon has confirmed that Pollard will be with the Jets this season.

Quote was something along the lines of “Riley will join the team and form a combination with Niwhai”.
 
Sounds like he has a great attitude.

I love the below bit. Too many kids these days think they're done if they don't make rep squads.
Coming through the junior ranks in Penrith, he was often close to representative selection without fully breaking through - a period that has helped shape his perspective.

"I was always around the mark but could never quite crack those junior rep squads," he said.
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