Manly Sea Eagles fear Daly Cherry-Evans has secured a deal with a rival NRL club

Manly officials privately fear Daly Cherry-Evans has already made a decision on his NRL future, having been caught off-guard by his public announcement he would quit the club.

Manly officials privately fear Daly Cherry-Evans has already secured a rich deal with a rival NRL club, having been caught off-guard by his public announcement he would quit the club.

The Sydney Roosters, St George Illawarra, Gold Coast and the Dolphins have emerged as potential suitors for Cherry-Evans as his 15-year stay at Manly looks set to end.

The Sea Eagles still hope Cherry-Evans can lead the club to premiership glory this year, despite being privately irritated at how the drama unfolded on Monday evening.

Cherry Evans dropped a bombshell on live TV, revealing he planned to quit the Sea Eagles at the end of this season when his current contract expires, claiming he had not received an offer from the club to stay.

The Sea Eagles quickly put a two-year extension on the table, and called a snap press conference on Tuesday morning where CEO Tony Mestrov reiterated Manly’s desire to retain their captain.

Tony Mestrov denies being blindsided by DCE’s decision, contradicting other Manly officials. Picture: AAP/Dean Lewins

While Mestrov denied Cherry-Evans’ announcement had blindsided the Sea Eagles, other Manly officials were adamant their captain’s live TV revelation had caught them off-guard.

It comes as this masthead can reveal:

• Manly head of football and recruitment, Peter Gentle, spoke with Cherry-Evans’ agent, Joe Wehbe, at midday on Monday about a new two-year deal, only for the Sea Eagles playmaker to announce he was leaving the club nine hours later on national television;

• The Sea Eagles felt the issue would be discussed and decided after round six – not three weeks into the season;

• Cherry-Evans failed to tell Mestrov or Sea Eagles chairman and co-owner Scott Penn that he was making the public announcement;

• Cherry-Evans had previously told Manly officials he was likely to retire after this season; and

• Manly still hope Cherry-Evans will accept the club’s two-year offer, but fear he has already secured a rich deal with a rival club.

DALY’S DESIRE TO LEAVE

Mestrov explained the timeline around their talks with Cherry-Evans, and that they knew of their captain’s feelings that 2025 could be his last year in a Manly jersey.

“Daly did speak to us in December. He was going either to retire (or) go overseas. He reiterated that it would be his last season at Manly. We respected that,” Mestrov said, adding the club then decided to give him space to make his decision.

However, Gentle spoke with Wehbe on Monday about a new deal after media pressure had built around Cherry-Evans’ future.

“No one (at Manly) said anything — it was in the vault — and Daly obviously has felt like he’s had to come out, with the press around it,” Mestrov said.

Daly Cherry-Evans won’t be at Manly next season. Picture: NRL Photos

“I don’t think we were blindsided. I think he’s still not sure about what he’s doing, and he reiterated that to Seibs (coach Anthony Seibold) yesterday (Monday).

“It’s a shock to the broader world that he might not be at the Manly Sea Eagles, but not to us.”

This debunks the theory that Manly’s Monday night offer, which was revealed on NRL360, was reactive.

“While he is reconsidering his future, we made an offer,” Mestrov said. We’ve been discussing that offer internally.”

That offer, which Manly had budgeted for, is worth around $700,000 a year over two seasons, when Cherry-Evans will be 37.

WHERE WILL DCE LAND

Back in March, 2015, Cherry-Evans agreed to join the Titans in March on a four-year deal, only to backflip three months later.

Manly are hopeful they can convince him of another change of heart.

“I don’t think we’re too late. Never say never,” Mestrov said. “I don’t think Daly’s made a decision himself. Let’s hope he reconsiders.”

But some close to the club believe Cherry-Evans has already secured his future elsewhere.

His agent, Wehbe, already has two of his clients on the Roosters’ books for next season — fullback James Tedesco and incoming hooker Reece Robson. Adding a third member of the Wehbe stable to their spine could give the Roosters the edge in negotiations.

The Sea Eagles have offered Cherry-Evans a coaching role once he hangs up the boots. Trent Robinson has a track record of helping produce first-grade coaches, with Parramatta’s Jason Ryles, Newcastle’s Adam O’Brien and Cronulla’s Craig Fitzgibbon all serving apprenticeships under the Roosters’ mentor.

Joining Gold Coast would reunite Cherry-Evans with former Manly coach Des Hasler and halves partner Kieran Foran, while a move to the Dolphins would return him to Redcliffe, where he played his first junior football at the age of five.

FRACTURED DENIALS ON THE PENINSULA

Cherry-Evans and Mestrov have both agreed how communication between the parties had been open and transparent, and that there was no bad blood.

But that’s also why some figures at the Sea Eagles were shocked at Cherry-Evans’ public revelation.

“There’s no animosity between Daly and the club,” Mestrov said.

“There’s no problem with Daly and me, personally. There’s no problem with Daly and the coach.

“I want him to be able to walk into this club anytime in the future, whenever he likes, because he’s a legend of the club.

“I don’t think he’s still certain around what he wants to do. He doesn’t know if he wants to retire. He’s got a coaching offer from us to coach beyond that.

“You don’t offer a coaching position if there’s animosity.”

SEA EAGLES IN WIN-NOW MODE

Manly feel the club is currently in a premiership window and want Cherry-Evans to lead the side this year, and for the following two seasons.

“It’s up to Daly now to make a decision,” Mestrov said. “We feel like we’ve got a premiership to win with Daly.”

Originally published as Manly Sea Eagles fear Daly Cherry-Evans has secured a deal with a rival NRL club