DCE backflip: Inside story of Daly Cherry-Evans’ decision to renege on Gold Coast Titans deal
DALY Cherry-Evans claims he only decided to renege on the Titans in the past 48 hours, but the wheels for were in motion a lot longer.
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DALY Cherry-Evans claims he only decided to renege on the Titans in the past 48 hours, but the wheels for an Olympic-quality backflip were in motion a lot earlier.
A fortnight ago, Cherry-Evans’ father Troy was ringing friends close to his son to advise them the Maroons playmaker would stay at Manly.
Amid the shock, the message was simple: If Greg Inglis could renege on the Broncos, as he famously did in 2010, Daly had every right to go cold on the Titans.
There is, however, a critical difference. Inglis did not put pen to paper with the Broncos. There was a brief meeting with former Brisbane recruitment chief Andrew Gee and a handshake agreement. Inglis did not sign a standard player contract, nor was one ever sent to NRL headquarters for approval with the salary cap auditor.
TITANS REACT: No plans to tempt Sezer, Myles into backflips
GORDEN TALLIS: Daly Cherry-Evans played the Titans and left a mess
As he fronted the media on Wednesday, well-groomed and finely dressed, Cherry-Evans had the innocent veneer of a cherubic choirboy.
But behind the pristine public presentation, Cherry-Evans has been calculating, clinical and clever, to the point where he played the Titans off a break.
A month ago, Cherry-Evans told teammates in Australian camp he was committed to the Titans. He sent text messages to friends saying the Manly backflip rumours were sheer garbage. He told one of his closest mentors in rugby league his word was his bond.
He was Titans-bound. Rock solid.
Yet amid the moral certainty, Cherry-Evans went to extraordinary lengths to fan the embers of speculation. Only a fortnight ago he privately gave Manly an uppercut.
He told a third party how the ongoing speculation was all deliberate. It was his ploy to make the Sea Eagles pay for the way they had treated him, twice pulling deals at the negotiating table.
WENDELL SAILOR: DCE drama leaves AFL, soccer laughing at rugby league
GARRY COMMENT: Why backflip means DCE can’t captain the Maroons
Cherry-Evans ultimately had the last laugh, but it was on the Titans. He has won few admirers with the breach of his word, the lack of transparency and some Machiavellian behaviour.
To fans in the Sunshine State, he is a Queensland Origin player who has shafted a Queensland club.
Only last week, Maroons skipper Cameron Smith anointed him the next Queensland captain. Whether this fallout erodes his captaincy credentials remains to be seen.
Three months ago, Cherry-Evans told Fox Sports’ Sterlo program he was joining the Titans for his family. On Wednesday, he said he was staying at Manly for his family.
Right now, nothing makes sense with Cherry-Evans, who, amid the broken promises, will find solace in his millions.
Originally published as DCE backflip: Inside story of Daly Cherry-Evans’ decision to renege on Gold Coast Titans deal
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