Daniel Ostle Park: Manly fan cops fine for running onto pitch and hugging Daly Cherry-Evans

A Manly fan has been hit with a large fine after he ran onto the field post match and hugged Daly Cherry-Evans. Read what the magistrate had to say.

A ‘huge’ Manly fan has been slapped with a hefty fine after he ran onto the field following the team’s crushing defeat to the Gold Coast Titans and wrapped his arms around the Sea Eagles captain Daly Cherry-Evans.

Daniel Ostle Park, 29, pleaded guilty at the Southport Magistrates Court on Monday to one count of enter facility land without approval.

The court heard Park, decked in his favourite team’s jersey, jumped the barrier between the grandstand and field at Cbus Super Stadium post-match after the Sea Eagles were beaten by the Titans 28-8 on June 13.

Park pleaded guilty after he ran onto the Cbus Super Stadium after the Gold Coast Titans and Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles game and wrapped his arms around player Daly Cherry-Evans. Picture: NRL photos

The mega fan ran onto the field and put his arms around Cherry-Evans before he was stopped by security guards and later handed to police.

Park’s pitch run and subsequent tackle by security guards was captured by CCTV and media cameras.

Park told the court he was heavily intoxicated at the time and had been egged on by his mates to give ‘DCE’ a hug.

Daniel Ostle Park, 29, pleaded guilty at the Southport Magistrates Court on Monday to one count of enter facility land without approval. Picture: Facebook

“I don’t want to use that as an excuse … but I made the decision to drink alcohol and I take responsibility,” he said.

Park said if he wasn’t intoxicated, he wouldn’t have run onto the pitch.

He said he had no malice or ill intent to Mr Cherry-Evans and just wanted to give him a hug.

Sea Eagles captain Daly Cherry-Evans watches as Park is escorted away by security. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

The match against the Titans took place just days after Cherry-Evans had been given the boot from the Queensland Maroons team ahead of the second 2025 State of Origin match.

Magistrate Deborah Mitchell asked Park if he was a big Manly fan.

“Huge Manly fan,” he said.

She told Park he was very lucky Mr Cherry-Evans didn’t press charges against him.

Daniel Ostle Park, 29, ran from the Southport Courthouse after his sentencing. Picture: Emily Walker

Ms Mitchell said Park accepted responsibility and she believed he was aware intoxication sometimes leads to poor decisions.

“As a football fan myself, I would say you were an overzealous fan who saw the opportunity to meet your idol potentially if you were wearing the jersey, took it and now have ended up here,” she said.

Ms Mitchell said she also needed to take into consideration general public deterrence with her sentence for the charge.

“While I think you potentially won’t do this again, there does need to be deterrence for others just to protect the safety of all of the players on the field,” she said.

Park was handed a $1000 fine with no conviction recorded.