Daly Cherry-Evans: The real story behind Manly's 350-game legend, and how he won over this critic
Since his debut, few players have been as much of a closed book as Daly Cherry-Evans. But ahead of his 350th game, Brent Read reveals the truth about the star fans and the media have missed.
When you’ve been in this game long enough, you realise after a while that it’s all smoke and mirrors. Nothing is ever quite as it seems.
Coaches do their best to keep the media and their opponents in the dark. Clubs do their darnedest to keep their rivals guessing. And players, well most tend to keep their guard up.
Some give you a taste of their personality but rarely the whole box and dice. Often they live in fear of a negative headline, a twisted quote or a raging coach.
There are exceptions.
Every now and then someone comes along who can’t help but show you who he is.
Brandon Smith leaps to mind. Smith doesn’t have a filter.
Occasionally it lands him in trouble but for the most part, his personality has won him plenty of fans – and the occasional critic – across the game.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, there is Daly Cherry-Evans, who ever so politely and eloquently this week explained why he has kept the media at arm’s length over the years.
In the early days, it didn’t help him.
He came across as aloof and as stories began to filter out about his testy relationships with some of his more experienced and established teammates, it damaged his reputation.
He didn’t have friends in the media to take up the fight on his behalf but it didn’t seem to particularly worry him.
He went about his business seemingly oblivious to the storm around him.
When he backflipped on the Gold Coast Titans a decade ago, his reputation copped another hit. Who can forget that back page in the Gold Coast Bulletin, where he was labelled a “filthy cockroach” and accused of betraying the Queensland jersey.
Daly just went about being Daly.
He turned up, trained the house down and ignored the noise. It can’t have been easy, particularly when he was on the outer with the Maroons, but he never dropped his standards.
Over the years, the curtain has slowly been drawn back and his reputation has been rehabilitated. Not all the way, but little by little, inch by inch, he has shown more of himself and both we and he are the better for it.
Although I have spent the vast majority of the past 20 years on Sydney’s northern beaches living a stone’s throw from 4 Pines Park, I can’t say I really know Cherry-Evans.
Again, there have been glimpses but never the whole show. Seven years ago, when our relationship was icy at best, I bumped into Daly in the birdcage at the Melbourne Cup.
He was there with his wife Vessa and I was there with my footy mates. Daly ended up having a few beers with us and then catching our bus back into the city.
My mates made us sit together to try to thaw the relationship. We walked away on better terms and my mates walked away wondering why he had developed a reputation as a pariah.
They got a glimpse of the real Daly and loved the bloke. They would have happily sunk beers with him all day.
Daly and I became more cordial after that and while we were never the best of mates, a few years ago he joined a fantasy NFL competition I ran involving some journos and NRL players.
Again, it provided a glimpse of the unfiltered Daly. The chat group wasn’t for the faint hearted and Daly gave as good as he got. He had a cutting sense of humour, in particular when it came to sniping his good mate Christian Welch.
So when Daly says he loves nothing more gibbering with a stranger over a beer at the pub – and leaving them in shock at who he really is – I tend to believe him.
Every now and then over the past 15 years or so, I’ve seen that bloke.
The same bloke who enjoys a drink, loves his family and cherishes his kids. He would seemingly prefer to spend more time with them than pandering to the media.
Hard to blame him for that. On Saturday, he will make his 350th appearance for Manly and his record alone makes him one of the greatest players of his generation.
His place in Sea Eagles’ folklore is well established, even allowing for the messy ending.
He deserves to be remembered as a Manly legend given he has been a heck of a footballer for well over a decade on Sydney’s northern beaches.
He has also raised a family, been a doting father, and a caring husband. As I said, I don’t know Daly that well, but I get the feeling that means so much more.
HOW DAVID FIFITA BECAME TITANS’ $1M MILLSTONE
David Fifita has played the grand total of eight games for the Gold Coast Titans this season. One of the most devastating and destructive players in the game has busted 19 tackles or thereabouts in those appearances.
To put that in perspective, it is 100 less than James Tedesco.
You have to scroll well down the list to locate Fifita. The point being that Fifita hasn’t really made an impact and when coach Des Hasler is eventually shown the door, his inability to unlock Fifita will have played a significant role in his exit.
Fifita can be a wrecking ball on his day with the ability to turn a game on its head.
He showed flashes of what he can do earlier this season against St George Illawarra in a losing cause.
Fifita was devastating. That was the last time he started in a Gold Coast side.
There were three more appearances off the interchange bench after that but Fifita has been on the outer since, fighting an ankle problem and struggling to win over Hasler.
It feels like his time at the Gold Coast has run its course even when there is a chance of a new coach. South Sydney are circling and seven-time premiership winner Wayne Bennett clearly believes he has the ability to get the best out of one of rugby league’s great enigmas.
Fifita is still only 25 and has years ahead of him.
Yet it feels like he is running out of chances to fulfil his potential. The talent is undeniable but the question remains whether he still has the desire to leave an imprint on the NRL.
This, after all, is a player who had Trent Robinson and Ivan Cleary fighting for his signature when he last explored his options in the game.
In the end, he opted to stay on the Gold Coast when history suggests the smarter move might have been to take his chances in Sydney.
Now he looks like leaving the Titans and the Rabbitohs appear the likely destination.
Bennett clearly believes he can light a fire under Fifita. If he does, he will have a heck of a footballer on his hands.
Originally published as Daly Cherry-Evans: The real story behind Manly's 350-game legend, and how he won over this critic
Fans seriously concerned by Netflix reveal
