After more than 150 Sharks games in two spells at his boyhood club – plus almost 100 for Wasps during a five-year spell in between – former Sale and England hooker Tommy Taylor would have been forgiven for wanting to put his feet up after injury forced him to retire after the 24/25 season.
The Macclesfield-born 33-year-old was restricted to a watching brief last season as nerve damage caused by a back injury kept him on the sidelines and forced him to hang up his boots.
But the one-cap England international has Sharks running through his veins and when he knew retirement might be on the cards, his attention turned to helping the new breed of Sale players excel on and off the pitch.
Tommy has returned to the club as consultant Player Liaison Lead and he’s focused on supporting Alex Sanderson’s players as they build for the start of the 25/26 Gallagher Prem season.
Tommy said: “I used to love pre-season so I have been missing the playing side, but I’m loving being around the lads, trying to help them where I can. It was a slow transition out of rugby last year because I was injured for so long but this is a great way to stay involved.
“All the same interactions are there but my body feels better and I didn’t have to do a bronco test! I’ve been in the gym with Ross Harrison but I’m not sure I can take his workouts.
“Alex and I had a good, honest chat around new year because both of us knew that I probably wouldn’t be continuing with my playing career and he wanted my opinion on this environment.
“The club has always been brilliant in supporting players both while they’re playing but also after their careers come to an end, and loads of work has gone into that in recent years.
“I’ve said before that it’s the best team environment I’ve ever been in but we can always be better because we want to create a world-leading culture.
“In my opinion we could improve the support for players off the pitch. I love that side of the game. I love exploring options off the pitch and helping players with their careers after rugby. I love working with injured players to support them when they’re not playing.
“How can we help the lads squeeze out every little bit of performance in training and on a match day? That’s the challenge. Fans see an 80 minute performance on a weekend but so much goes into that.
“What’s the player’s home life like? Is their wife or partner happy? Are their kids happy? Are their kids in nursery or school? If they’ve just joined us, have they sorted a house and a car? There are loads of things that contribute to a player’s high performance and it’s my job to support them in building foundations for all of that.
“We have four pillars of support – myself, a psychologist, a communication expert and a breathwork coach. I’m leading the group to try and work out what we need to do to help the players perform on the pitch.
“How can we be proactive rather than reactive around the support we’re offering?”
It’s been a challenging pre-season for the Sharks coaches as a British and Irish Lions tour, England’s tour to Argentina and the USA, and the U20s World Cup have meant many of the club’s highest profile players are yet to return to Carrington.
But Tommy says that has allowed him time to work with some of the new players, who are just getting used to calling Manchester their home.
He said: “The boys have really responded well. We’re missing a load of the senior boys who have been away with international squads but that’s allowed me to focus on the new lads, some of the lads who have been outside the squad, and some who have been injured for a while.
“I’ve spent a lot of time trying to understand the lads’ situations and getting to know the new lads. I want to be that touch point for them so that if they are struggling with anything off the pitch, they have someone to talk to.
“It’s massive for these lads who have moved from a different part of the country or even, like Marius Louw, come in from a different country. We expect them to hit the ground running but there’s so much to think about.
“For us, getting a new player is an investment and we want to make it as easy as possible for them to just focus on their rugby.
“It’s not just arriving in a new place. A player could sign a one year deal and by Christmas they’re having to think about the next job. There’s limited security in this job and an injury or loss of form could genuinely mean someone doesn’t get a new deal and can’t pay their mortgage.”
Tommy knows the challenge facing players as they reach the twilight of their career and he’s keen to make sure he spends plenty of time with the older lads, as they contemplate life after rugby.
He added: “Supporting players coming to the end of their careers is huge because that’s such a big step both for the player and their family. If we can help them prepare then they’ll be in a better place.
“Retiring is so hard on that player’s family too and that’s why it’s great to get that support in place as early as possible.
“I know when I was playing, having something going on off the pitch to take my mind off rugby, and let me relax was brilliant. For me it was dog training. The lads need to find what that is for them.
“I love this club and it’s given me so much over such a long time. It’s had a real positive impact on me personally and in terms of my rugby and I’m passionate about helping the next group of players in any way I can.”
