NRL 2023: Daly Cherry-Evans urges teammate Josh Schuster not to waste his talent

Daly Cherry-Evans has delivered some home truths to his own teammate, claiming the youngster’s career is at a crossroads and demanding a change in attitude.

Daly Cherry-Evans has unloaded on Josh Schuster.

Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans concedes that sidelined star Josh Schuster has reached a crossroads in his young career amid fears that his enormous talent is at risk of being frittered away.

Schuster was left out of the Sea Eagles’ side to play the Gold Coast this weekend, the club revealing he had been given time to do reconditioning work on a recent quad injury.

It means that Schuster will have made only three appearances through the opening nine rounds, prompting fresh concerns over his ability to stand up to the rigours of first grade.

Significantly, his latest setback comes as Manly prepare to face a Titans side led by Kieran Foran, the man Schuster was earmarked to replace in the No.6 jersey.

“I have been playing long enough to see so many people at this club not maximise their opportunity,” Cherry-Evans said.

“That is rugby league mate – if you’re not willing to work hard enough, if you’re not willing to sacrifice, you just don’t last long.

Josh Schuster’s career is at the crossroads. Picture: Getty

“He is at a crossroads early in his career but it can be a real positive. This doesn’t have to be a negative for him – spending some time away to get his body right, this could be a defining moment where he takes off to that level we all know he can.

“That is what we are all hoping to see out of it all. I think a situation like this can really stoke the fire in the belly. As his teammates all we want to see is like I said, work really hard to get his body and his mind right, and come back and show consistency in first grade, which I know he can do.

“I have played enough footy with him and trained with him enough to see so much ability. So I definitely want to see him get it all right.

“This should fire him up so if he has any self-doubt, he can remove that.”

Schuster’s talent has never been in question. Concerns, however, have lingered over his ability to become the permanent foil to Cherry-Evans in the halves given the question marks over his desire and commitment.

It is understood he is one of the highest paid players at the club – earning in the vicinity of $800,000 a season – but the jury remains out given the way he has struggled to get his body right over the past two seasons.

Schuster only managed 13 games last season and he will do well to match that figure this year given the way he has laboured through the opening two months.

Daly Cherry-Evans hasn’t missed in his appraisal of Josh Schuster. Picture: Getty

Manly has thrown down the challenge to Josh Schuster. Picture: NRL Photos

“His appearances have been inconsistent – I think that his third game in eight rounds,” Cherry-Evans said.

“He has some time off now to figure it out. He has a heap of support at the club from coaching staff to medical staff and the playing group.

“We all know how good he can be. So we are really hoping he can go away, put together a plan to get himself mentally and physically in a really good spot, because when he comes back we would love for him to stay back in first grade and help us be a better side.

“We are a better side with Schuey in it. Anyone in his situation – and there have been plenty of players in this situation before ….. anyone who has come through the other side of that has had to work extremely hard.

“The worst thing Schuey can do is look for excuses from anyone else. The best thing he can do is get that mentality that I am going to fix this, I am going to help myself and I have so many people around me who want to help me.”

Cherry-Evans said he faced a similar scenario early in his career. The Sea Eagles skipper came out the other side and he hopes Schuster can do the same.

“I am very patient, I am more patient than most,” he said. “I am willing to wait to see how this goes but it’s not going to be easy. Nothing in the NRL is easy, especially if you want a 10-year career.

“You have to work hard and consistently work hard. Maybe this will be the moment in time where he realises it isn’t just going to happen, he has to go get it. That took me a while to figure out. I got through on raw ability for a long time.”

Originally published as NRL 2023: Daly Cherry-Evans urges teammate Josh Schuster not to waste his talent