NRL 2021: Daly Cherry-Evans backs Sea Eagles to fight way out of form slump
Manly skipper Daly Cherry-Evans is refusing to panic as the Sea Eagles endure the worst start to a season of any team in 15 years.
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Despite Manly enduring their worst start to a season of any team in the past 15 years, skipper Daly Cherry-Evans is refusing to panic and claims the Sea Eagles are just one win away from breaking out of their funk.
The Silvertails are anchored to the bottom of the ladder and have conceded 110 points, the most after three games of any side since the 2006 Canberra Raiders.
With Thursday’s match against the Panthers fast approaching, a fourth-straight loss could all but end their season even before star fullback Tom Trbojevic returns for the Round 5 clash with the Warriors.
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“We’re aware of the situation and we live in an environment which doesn’t allow you to lose three losses in a row,” Cherry-Evans said.
“We’re really aware of where we’re at but we have to keep building to the season’s end — we can’t give up now, it’s Round 3.
“We just have to fight for that next win. Once you get that first win all sorts of momentum can be created. We’re one win from getting out of this, it’s that simple.”
What gives Cherry-Evans confidence the Sea Eagles can still turn around their ailing season is the fact the veteran halfback has endured worse periods in the past and come out the other side.
The 32-year-old believes the key to fixing his side’s ailing form is to instil that same belief into his younger teammates.
“There’s been some real rough trots over my career,” Cherry-Evans said. “Everything just seems more amplified because it’s the present, it’s the current moment, but this isn’t my worst moment.
“That’s probably why I might be a bit more optimistic about turning it around than other people. If you’re young and you don’t know any better three in a row can be quite daunting. But I know our next win can come as soon as next week and then our year changes.
“You have to really believe in yourself, your teammates and your process. We’re at a great club with a great coaching staff and a really good roster.
“We need to really make sure we understand that and we believe that and we’ll be surprised at our own ability when we get rolling, I really do believe that. We just need to get that first one.”
Despite the heavy loss to the Dragons on Friday night, Cherry-Evans could still find some positives to build on.
Just as coach Des Hasler praised his team’s application in the post-match presser, so did Cherry-Evans cite his side’s intent in attack as a building block for the future.
However, Cherry-Evans did concede neither the side’s attack nor their defence was anywhere close to where it needed to be and with the match against the powerhouse Panthers next time was running out for Manly to cure what ails them.
“We’re still finding the balance of our attack, while it looked frantic I really liked the fact we were trying to play footy,” Cherry-Evans said.
“In that first half if a couple of those passes stick, a couple of those offloads stick it could have been us going in 18-6, I really feel like that’s how close that first half was.
“We just have to play a style of footy that works for us, and after three rounds and three losses we probably haven’t found that for us. We do have plenty of work ahead of us in getting our attack to click and matching that up with some really steely defence.
“As a halfback I’ll definitely take my responsibility in trying to improve our attack.”
DES DEFIANT: ‘WE WILL DIG OUR WAY OUT’
By Adam Lucius
His team sits on the bottom of the ladder off the back of three straight losses and is about to meet the hottest side in the NRL — but coach Des Hasler insists there is still plenty of life left in Manly’s season.
Ahead of Thursday’s showdown with ladder leaders Penrith at Lottoland, the veteran Sea Eagles boss saw enough in Friday night’s 38-12 loss to St George Illawarra to convince him a revival is possible.
“We will dig our way out – you watch,” he promised.
“I thought we had a real dig but there are parts of our game we’ve just got to get better at.
“We’re out of shape at the moment and need to find it pretty soon.
“The players aren’t enjoying the losses but I still maintain there is a lot of effort there.
“They’re disappointed but there is quality and there is quality fight in this side.”
The Sea Eagles have conceded a whopping 110 points in three games while scoring just 28 for a -82 points differential.
No-one gives them a chance against the undefeated Panthers, who are on a high after bringing down premiers Melbourne in a classic contest on Thursday night.
Hasler is the exception, refusing to give up hope his team can cause an upset to kickstart their campaign.
He said: “We’re going to have to be a lot better (against Penrith) and stay in the game longer. We need to reconstruct our mentality with the ball and get better at defending last-tackle plays.”
Anthony Griffin was supposed to be the coach in the hot seat but he has the Dragons firing in a surprisingly good start to the season.
Back-to-back wins have the Red V sitting comfortably inside the top eight with a big test against Newcastle looming on Sunday week.
“It’s not about critics or perceptions from outside for us. It’s just about improving our football team every week and I think we took another big step (against Manly),” Griffin said.
“We’ve had an enormous amount of energy and resilience and (Friday night’s) the first night we’ve put a complete performance together with the ball.
“We were right on top right from the start.”
Corey Norman, Ben Hunt and Matt Dufty were outstanding and are building into a potent combination after an indifferent 2020. Hunt left the field with a calf strain but is expected to be right to take on the Knights at McDonald Jones Stadium.
NORMAN LEADS DRAGONS INTO RARE AIR
By Nick Campton
The next time you look at the NRL ladder do not adjust your set because there is no mistake, no grievous error and no miscalculation — the Dragons are sitting above the Storm.
Sure, it’s only been three rounds and there’s plenty of season left. And yeah, the Storm have played three of last year’s top eight sides and the Dragons two wins have come against teams that finished in the bottom four.
But after the Red V were seemingly red hot favourites to finish stone, motherless last in 2021 spending any time among the competition’s elite is cause for celebration. You’ve got to let them have this one, even if it’s only for a week.
The 38-12 win over Manly wasn’t one for the highlight reels, and it would still take a brave (or possibly foolish) punter to say their time looking down at the Storm will continue.
They might not be there when the whips are cracking but there’s signs of life at Saints for the first time in a while.
A contract year might be just what the doctor ordered for Corey Norman. The 30-year old has never been short of talent, but consistent application has been something he’s struggled with at times throughout his career.
By his own admission, Norman has never been in this position before. He’s never played through a season without the security of a new deal.
For the first time, Norman is playing for his future and it shows - he was in everything the Dragons did well in attack, playing a hand in five tries.
Jack Bird is looking better and better all the time - he’s getting some of his explosiveness back, his offload for Cody Ramsey’s try in the first half was a beauty and he set up the final try of the night with a nice short ball for Brayden Williame.
“He’s getting his confidence back. I thought he did a good job on Suli defensively, he’s a hard one-on-one player to play against and he took a lot of tough carries out of our own end,” said coach Anthony Griffin.
“He’s putting himself in the game. I’m really happy for him, because he’s had a rough trot, and it’s so far so good from him.”
Matt Dufty’s combination with Norman and his support play has become a key feature of the Dragons attack - the speedy fullback has redesigned the way he links with the rest of the spine and the side looks better for it.
“Having Macca (Andrew McCullough) there for Benny is massive, you can just tell Benny is a lot more comfortable,” Dufty said.
“You can just tell Benny is a lot more comfortable. We’ve simplified it, if you watch you can see we’re all really close together. If there’s a break, one of us is always there.
“The way Hook wanted me to play is a lot different to last year. I was more a ballplayer, setting up outside people, but he wants me to be more of a ballrunner with the way the game is going.
“Once those middles get going there’s plenty of space around the middle and he wants me attacking those spaces with speed and footwork.
“It’s taken some getting used to, because I love that ball-playing as well, but it’s working.”
It must be said, Manly didn’t offer the stiffest of resistance aside from a spirited rally after halftime.
The Sea Eagles are fast looking like wooden spoon material as the form struggles of Daly Cherry-Evans and Kieran Foran, as well as Dylan Walker’s nightmare stint at fullback, continued unabated.
But that won’t matter for the Dragons, or for coach Anthony Griffin.
It feels as though the gap between the top teams and the rest of the competition is widening all the time.
But for the Dragons - or anybody else outside the premiership contenders - to make the finals they don’t need big scalps. Look no further than Cronulla last year, when Sharks made the finals without beating a top eight side all season
It’s not the kind of stuff championship campaigns are made of, but after the results of the past few years there’s not a single Dragon who’ll complain about a win regardless of how it comes about.
They won’t all be this easy - next week’s trip up to Newcastle is their first real test of the season and the hard-nosed Knights won’t be as sloppy or as listless as the Sea Eagles.
And the Dragons faithful have memories of many a fast start that collapsed by the middle of the season. But a win is a win, getting two of them is even better and sitting above the Storm, even if it’s just for a week, is worth savouring.
Originally published as NRL 2021: Daly Cherry-Evans backs Sea Eagles to fight way out of form slump
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