mens
Gallagher-Prime Minister
Sale Sharks boss Alex Sanderson admits he wants to see talisman Tom Curry finish his career at the club after England and Lions star has put pen to paper on a new contract.
Curry, 28, who can play anywhere in the back row, entered the final year of his contract in July but Gallagher PREM side quickly extended his current contract by a year, even though there was little chance of him moving elsewhere.
Sanderson says Curry, who will be with the club until at least 2028, will then assess his options and see how his body feels two years after being diagnosed with career-threatening femoroacetabular impingement syndrome.
He needed career-saving surgery due to recurring hip pain that won’t heal, but Sanderson believes he is as fit and fast as ever.
“The terms are, it’s a few years. And it’s down to Tom’s desire to make sure he’s in the best place physically so he can honor his contract to play. Then we both said we’ll see where his body is at that point. We both want him to finish his career at Sale.”
“He’s been in some of the best environments, at international level and with the British & Irish Lions. He’s been one of the Six Nations in the middle of it when bullets were flying and bombs were falling.
“He was the one, after some really honest conversations, who said we need to keep the core of the group together. He’s the core for us, really the cornerstone of that core group.”
“He’s exceeded expectations, his own medical expectations and what’s come before him in terms of the injury he’s had. We’re not seeing any signs of wear and tear at this point, and that could come into play down the road.”
“But at the moment, he’s as fresh and mobile as ever. It’s clear we got things wrong as a team at the weekend, but overall, he’s had a lot of involvement and worked the hardest of all the forwards.”
“So his ability to work is exactly where it needs to be, where it’s been in the past. And that’s the only thing you can measure, right?” Sanderson said.
In total, Curry played more than 125 games for Sale, won 71 caps for England and represented the British and Irish Lions on six occasions across two tours.
“Sale The Sharks mean everything to me and this is a club I have supported all my life. I remember going to Edgeley Park from a young age, and now it’s hard to put into words to be able to replicate my heroes growing up,” Curry said.
“To be able to say that I can do it with my brother every week and my family here is even more special.
“I’m very proud of the hard work we’ve put in over the last ten years to get the club to where it is now, but I know how much more we have to give and that’s why I want to stay. There’s no place I’d rather be.”
