Manly star Daly Cherry-Evans opens up on the public perception, the Anthony Watmough saga and who should coach Manly
From the vicious Anthony Watmough spray to the infamous Gladstone incident and Manly’s ongoing dramas, Daly Cherry-Evans was probably selling it short when he called 2018 “draining”.
Sea Eagles
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sea Eagles. Followed categories will be added to My News.
DALY Cherry-Evans says the “easy option” is to ridicule him. The often-maligned Manly Sea Eagles halfback has been at the forefront of a string of headlines this season.
From the vicious Anthony Watmough spray to the now infamous Gladstone incident. Manly narrowly avoided finishing last for the first time in the club’s history while the club remains leaderless with the ongoing uncertainty surrounding its coach.
Cherry-Evans’ crowning glory will happen on Saturday when he captains the PM’s XIII side in Port Moresby wearing the No.7 jersey.
He will reclaim his Test jersey next week but before he does Cherry-Evans discussed a “really draining” 2018.
MORE NEWS
WAITING GAME: Top unsigned players for 2018
HARD WORK: Mitch Moses fighting for life at Parramatta
WHO COACHES MANLY?
“Who is the coach?” Cherry-Evans asks. “I don’t know. What the club is thinking I couldn’t tell you. All I know is the reason it doesn’t worry me as much as it worries everyone else is because I know regardless of who my coach is I’m at a point in my career that I know my work ethic and preparation towards games of football will put in a good position to play well every week.
“I’ve never had a say in anything around recruitment, retention or who my coach is. I don’t have a voice in that stuff. People can agree or disagree with that but I genuinely don’t have a say.”
RUNNING OF MANLY
“The big question I get asked is why does Manly have their problems dragged through the media,” Cherry-Evans said. “We’re not the first club to potentially change coach, we’re not the first club whose coach that had problems with management. These things aren’t new in rugby league.
“We just wear the brunt through the media. I’d love for it to change one day and keep our news and our decisions in-house.
“I was involved in off-field incidents. I don’t deflect all the blame for the attention we got. I took responsibility for it.”
WATMOUGH SAGA
“I know where I stand with Anthony and we know where stand with each other and that’s fine,” Cherry-Evans said. “That’s not a problem for me at all it’s just the affect it has on your family. I’d like to think I’m a resilient person. People can say what they want. I know what’s important to me.
“I knew the position our playing group was in for a couple of years. I wasn’t surprised when he said that. It’s not ideal dirty laundry getting aired out like that. I have no doubt in five or 10 years time everyone involved will understand how minute the grievances on both sides of the story were. People will understand there wasn’t much to fuss about.”
PUBLIC PERCEPTION
“The most difficult thing to deal with for me around the game of rugby league is when people question your character,” Cherry-Evans said. “We are role models whether we like it or not. Unfortunately it can be tainted based around people’s perception of who you are and the way you act but not necessary understanding the true side of the story.
“If I play a bad game go ahead, fire away and write about it but when people start to question people they don’t even know that’s probably the most disappointing part in our game.
“It’s not a nice feeling when people question your commitment.
“(Targeting me) is easy option if I’m honest. There is not too many others way I can delve into it.”
REPRESENTATIVE EXILE
“I was confused when I read about it,” Cherry-Evans said of an apparent falling out with representative teammates. “The reassuring texts I got from players in the squad put a lot of that to bed. The longer I wasn’t picked the more those rumours circulated and gained momentum. Now I’m back in the rep fold hopefully those sorts of rumours can disappear.
“I had to maintain that I wasn’t trying to do anything wrong by anyone. I was always trying to play the best of my ability. If that did offend anyone it wasn’t intentional. Whether it did or didn’t I still don’t know.
“To an extent I wanted to know if it was true and who it was but I can’t say I lost sleep over it.”
KANGAROOS RETURN
“To get such strong support from him at rep level where I haven’t had too much is really nice,” Cherry-Evans said of coach Mal Meninga’s guarantee he will start as Australia’s halfback.
“The most pleasing part will be running out again. It’s a major achievement and a privilege to lead the side (in PNG) but it’s the whole act of being back — that is the proudest part for me.”
Get ready for cricket like never before. FREE Sport HD + Entertainment until the first 4K cricket ball as part of 2 months free on a 12 month plan. SIGN UP TODAY. T&Cs apply.