A Wallabies star with links to the North Sydney Bears is shaping up as a potential recruit for the NRL’s new Perth-based franchise.
Billy Pollard has a background in rugby league and is interested in a potential return to the game. The Brumbies hooker famously turned down an approach from Wayne Bennett, one of several league luminaries keen on his signature, while still in his teens.
The 23-year-old followed in the footsteps of father Paul by playing for the North Sydney Bears, where he starred in the SG Ball side alongside up-and-coming Bulldog Jacob Preston.
The family connection goes even further back: grandfather John made 19 first-grade appearances for the Bears in the early 1960s and also won a reserve-grade grand final.
With interest from both codes, Pollard ultimately chose the 15-man game, where he has fulfilled his ambition of representing the Wallabies.
Pollard, who has six caps to his name, is expected to be part of the 40-man Wallabies squad chosen by coach Joe Schmidt for the upcoming British and Irish Lions series. While keen to feature in those marquee matches, the Asquith Magpies junior will soon become a free agent and is keen on exploring opportunities in rugby league.
Wallabies star Billy Pollard.Credit: Getty Images for ARU
Those close to Pollard say the Perth Bears – who will be able to recruit players from November 1 ahead of their scheduled entry into the NRL in 2027 – would be a natural fit given the family’s strong history with the black and red.
A hooker in rugby, Pollard has been likened to Brandon Smith; a player with the skills to pass from the ground, probably best suited in the back row at NRL level.
The Perth Bears are expected to have a coach, football manager, chair and chief executive in place by the end of the month. Unlike the league’s latest expansion team, the Dolphins, the Bears won’t have Bennett as a magnet for players.
However, the conversation Pollard had with Bennett when he was last at a career crossroads stuck with him.
A young Billy Pollard in North Sydney Bears colours.
“It was unreal, I was pretty starstruck being in the same room as him,” Pollard said during an interview last year. “He told me wherever I go, if you want to be the best you have to train like it and to act like it, 24-7.
“I definitely took a big learning from that, even from that little meeting. Just how serious it is and how full-time you have to dedicate yourself to getting better. I did have an opportunity to go to Souths, but by that stage I was probably looking at union.”
