Henry Pollock might be one of the biggest names in English rugby, but the England sensation is not Northampton Saints’ marquee man.
The Gallagher PREM salary cap stands at £6.4million for the 2026/27 season, although clubs can effectively spend considerably more through a series of credits and allowances.
Most importantly, each club is permitted one “excluded player”, commonly referred to as the marquee player, whose salary can sit outside the main cap calculation.
With Pollock reportedly closing in on a bumper new Northampton contract, here’s a look at the players understood to occupy – or be leading candidates for – that crucial slot across the PREM.
Clubs do not routinely disclose their excluded player publicly, so the names below are based on the latest reported salary-cap information.
Bath Rugby – Finn Russell
No great surprise here.
Finn Russell remains one of the biggest earners in English club rugby after joining Bath from Racing 92 in 2023.
The Scotland superstar has been transformative at The Rec and remains central to Johann van Graan's plans.
His sizeable contract also saw him feature prominently when we recently looked at the highest-paid players in the Gallagher PREM.
Bristol Bears – Ellis Genge
Ellis Genge is the standout candidate at Ashton Gate.
The England prop returned to his hometown club from Leicester Tigers in 2022 and has remained one of Bristol's most important players.
Because of the rules surrounding players moving between PREM clubs, Bristol initially had to accommodate Genge's salary within their cap rather than immediately using him as an excluded player.
That restriction has long since passed, leaving the British & Irish Lion as an obvious candidate for the Bears' marquee slot.
His future has become an interesting subplot too, with Genge recently linked with a potential move to France.
Exeter Chiefs – Henry Slade
Exeter are a little different to some of their big-spending rivals.
Rob Baxter has traditionally built his squads without relying on huge numbers of expensive established internationals.
Henry Slade remains one of the club's senior England stars and is therefore among the obvious candidates for Exeter's excluded-player position.
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso is another increasingly valuable asset as Exeter attempt to build their next generation.
Gloucester Rugby – Jac Morgan
This is where things get interesting.
Gloucester have made a major statement ahead of the new season by bringing Wales captain Jac Morgan to Kingsholm.
Morgan arrives with considerable international pedigree and immediately becomes one of the biggest names in the Gloucester squad.
That makes the British & Irish Lion an obvious candidate to become one of the club's most significant financial commitments.
Harlequins – Marcus Smith
Marcus Smith remains the face of Harlequins.
The England playmaker has spent his entire senior club career at The Stoop and his value to Quins extends well beyond what happens on the pitch.
His future continues to generate headlines, while Smith has also spoken about the possibility of representing the Philippines later in his career.
George Furbank's arrival gives Harlequins another established England international, but Smith remains one of the club's most valuable assets.
Leicester Tigers – Ollie Chessum
Ollie Chessum has become increasingly important to Leicester.
The England and British & Irish Lions forward has established himself as one of the leading locks in the PREM and has taken on greater responsibility at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.
There has been speculation surrounding his future, although Chessum is now closing in on a new Leicester deal despite interest elsewhere.
That would be a significant piece of business for Tigers as they look to keep one of their most important England internationals.
Newcastle Red Bulls – Hoskins Sotutu
The Red Bull era has changed the picture at Newcastle completely.
A huge recruitment drive has brought a number of eye-catching names to Kingston Park, but Hoskins Sotutu is arguably the headline acquisition.
The former All Blacks back-rower arrives with considerable international pedigree and gives Newcastle the sort of established global name they have rarely been able to recruit in recent seasons.
There is also intrigue around his Test future. Having last represented New Zealand in 2022, Sotutu is now free to explore other international options under World Rugby's eligibility regulations.
Northampton Saints – Fin Smith
And here's the interesting one.
Despite all the attention surrounding Henry Pollock and his new contract, Fin Smith is understood to be Northampton's excluded player.
The England fly-half has developed into one of the most important players at Franklin's Gardens and committed his long-term future to Saints.
Pollock, meanwhile, has seen his value explode following his extraordinary rise through the England and British & Irish Lions ranks.
The youngster is reportedly set for a significant pay rise, with Eddie Hearn teasing a major announcement over Pollock's future.
His new contract will reflect that progress, but it doesn't automatically make him Saints' marquee player.
Sale Sharks – George Ford
Sale have assembled one of the most experienced squads in the competition.
Courtney Lawes, Joe Marchant, Alex Lozowski, Tom Curry and Luke Cowan-Dickie are among the established internationals available to Alex Sanderson.
George Ford, however, has been one of the Sharks' major financial commitments since returning north from Leicester.
The England fly-half remains a hugely influential figure at the club and an obvious candidate for Sale's excluded-player slot.
Saracens – Maro Itoje
Few names make more sense than Maro Itoje.
The England and British & Irish Lions lock has spent his entire senior club career with Saracens and remains one of the biggest names in English rugby.
Saracens have undergone significant changes heading into 2026/27, including the arrival of England lock George Martin from Leicester.
But Itoje remains the cornerstone of the squad.
Keeping one of the world's leading locks at StoneX Stadium comes at a significant cost, making him the natural candidate for Saracens' marquee slot.
Read also
What does “marquee player” actually mean?
The terminology can cause confusion.
Under the current Gallagher PREM salary-cap system, clubs operate with a £6.4million senior ceiling, but several credits and allowances can take their actual squad expenditure considerably higher.
One of the most important is the excluded-player provision.
It allows a club to nominate one qualifying player's salary for special treatment outside the main salary-cap calculation.
There are restrictions over who can qualify, particularly when a player transfers between PREM clubs, which means the highest-paid player at a club isn't automatically its excluded player.
And that brings us back to Pollock.
His rapid rise means he is already one of Northampton's most valuable players and one of the most marketable names in English rugby.
But when it comes to Saints' marquee slot, England team-mate Fin Smith is understood to be the man currently occupying it.
QUIZ: Can you name the 10 highest try-scorers in PREM history?
The PREM has produced some of rugby’s greatest finishers – but how many of its most prolific try-scorers can you actually name?
From record-holder Chris Ashton to Christian Wade, who is still chasing the record after returning to the competition, some huge names feature near the top of the all-time list.
Ahead of the new PREM Rugby season, we’ve picked out the 10 highest try-scorers in competition history, with only their career try total and clubs as clues.
Some should be straightforward. Others might have you completely stumped.
You’ve got 10 to find. How many can you get?
