Queensland Maroons Origin news: Daly Cherry-Evans considers rep retirement to extend NRL career at Manly
Could this be Daly Cherry-Evans’ Maroons swansong? The Queensland skipper is considering retiring from representative football in a bid to prolong his NRL career at Manly.
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Queensland skipper Daly Cherry-Evans has revealed he is considering retiring from representative football in a bid to prolong his NRL career at Manly.
As he prepares to lead the Maroons into battle in Origin I on Wednesday night, Cherry-Evans says there is a possibility he could quit the Maroons as he weighs up another season at the Sea Eagles in 2026.
Cherry-Evans is off-contract at the end of next year, by which time he will be 36, and Manly’s 2025 campaign was widely expected to be the champion halfback’s swansong season before NRL retirement.
But such is Cherry-Evans’ form, faith in his body and love for the game, the 35-year-old says there is every chance he could ink a new deal to soldier on at Brookvale for a 16th season.
‘DCE’ concedes playing on with Manly could mean confronting the sacrifice of walking away from the Maroons and the Origin captaincy to withstand the rigours of the NRL for another 12 months.
If he doesn’t hang up the Origin boots after this series, Cherry-Evans will mull over a Queensland farewell in 2025.
“There is definitely an opportunity down the path for me to still be playing NRL but not be playing Origin,” Cherry-Evans said ahead of the 2024 series opener.
“I know there is a mental and physical toll that comes with playing Origin and everyone who plays in this arena can vouch for that.
“So if I felt as though I wouldn’t be able to juggle both, then I’d be OK to understand that (retiring from rep football) might happen.
“But it’s not this year obviously.
“Right now, this series is the focus and I’m committed to getting another win for Queensland.”
Ironically, it’s Cherry-Evans’ passion for State of Origin that could convince him to sign one more contract with the Sea Eagles.
After watching Cherry-Evans terrorise Parramatta to engineer a 32-18 win at Brookvale in round 8, rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns declared the Maroons maestro could play NRL at age 40.
Cherry-Evans has no intention of lasting that long, but says the joy of steering Queensland to back-to-back series wins has fuelled the desire to thrive in the NRL for as long as possible.
Asked if 2025 will be the year he retires from the code, Cherry-Evans said: “No, definitely not.
“As we stand here right now, I can’t see next year being my last year in the game. I don’t know. It’s a really tricky one.
“It’s easy to say now (he will play for Manly in 2026).
“If I’m still playing well enough to have a spot in the NRL, of course I want to keep playing, but it is a long way away.
“When you are 35, looking to 37, you want to take it a bit more year to year.
“I’d love to be able to keep playing but I have seen so many teammates come and go over the years, in particular the ones that hit a wall late in their career. They probably thought they had another year or two left in them and suddenly they retired mid-season.
“I’ve seen it happen before.
“I am a little reserved in making bold statements about how long I can play for.
“But if I have this same enjoyment and I have the same physical level and my form is warranted, I can’t see me just walking away from the game because of a number.”
Cherry-Evans surpasses two of Queensland’s greatest playmakers, Cooper Cronk and Kevin Walters (22 games), with his 23rd Origin outing for the Maroons this Wednesday night at Sydney’s Accor Stadium.
With star halves partner Cameron Munster sidelined for the series with a groin injury, Cherry-Evans’ leadership has never been more crucial. He enters his sixth consecutive campaign as Queensland captain, having led the Maroons to three series wins in 2020 and 2022-23.
The skipper is hungry for more.
“Origin is a motivating factor for sure,” he said.
“I still look at Origin and get super excited about the series ahead.
“Even after the last couple of years of success, people have mentioned to me that maybe it’s time to walk away, but I don’t know if you can just walk away from something you enjoy so much.
“Last year I started to think about those sorts of things (quitting Origin) just because of the physical and emotional exertion that comes from this. It is huge. By the end of the series I am bloody tired. I am getting older. I am more aware of it but it is obviously not this year.
“I am loving it so much in this environment. I am loving what this Queensland group does, the way we train and the way we learn off each other.
“We have built something special and it’s hard not to want to be a part of that.
“When the time is right, I know I will get a feeling to step aside.”
Cherry-Evans accepts Roosters young gun Sam Walker, 21, is turning up the heat. He believes it’s only a matter of time before Walker wears the Queensland No.7 jumper ... but not just yet.
“Respectfully it is an awareness more than it is a pressure,” Cherry-Evans says of the Walker threat.
“I am aware of the circumstances. I watch a lot of footy. I enjoy rugby league. So I get when people are playing well and young Queensland halves are going well. I think it is great for Queensland.
“Do I see it as a pressure? No I don’t. I just believe in my ability to come in here and help the side.
“It is great for Queensland that young halves are playing well. That is not a bad thing. It is good for Queensland because my time is going to be coming to an end soon.”
HARRY GRANT SHRUGS OFF STOMACH BUG AHEAD OF ORIGIN OPENER
Maroons super sub Harry Grant has declared himself a certain starter after revealing a number of Queensland stars had been struck down by illness in the weeks leading up to Origin I.
Grant missed Queensland’s first training run on Tuesday due to a stomach bug but the Storm superstar ran strongly on Saturday to confirm his place for Wednesday’s series opener against NSW at Sydney’s Accor Stadium.
Grant started at hooker in Game Three last year but insists there will be no selection mind games from coach Billy Slater, with the Storm rake to support starting No.9 Ben Hunt off the bench after recovering from a virus.
“I’m on the bench, that’s the plan, unless Billy wants to change anything, but that’s the way we are rolling,” Grant said.
“There’s no lingering effects (from his stomach bug).
“Someone had me being in hospital and rushed off to emergency but that definitely wasn’t true.
“I was a little crook in the tummy and speaking to a few of the boys they’ve had a bit of a bug over the last couple of weeks.
“It’s been going around a bit, so it was obviously my time and it was only 24 hours.”
Jokingly asked if the chef in Camp Maroon may have been a NSW supporter, Grant replied: “I’ve answered it, mate - it was nothing.
“Everyone gets crook now and then, that was me and I’m fortunate it was at the start of the week.
“If anything it was a good little rest to put the feet up and get into it later in the week.
“I missed the bonding session with ‘Alfie’ (Queensland halfback legend Allan Langer) which was good for the week.”
The Hunt-Grant alliance has become a potent dummy-half cocktail for the Maroons.
The classy duo have combined to win four of six games for Queensland, plus two Origin series, and Grant is relishing reuniting with Hunt to deliver a one-two punch as the Maroons eye a hat-trick of titles.
“It’s been really good,” Grant said of his hooking union with Hunt.
“I take a lot of confidence out of it because we have done it over the years, your combination grows and builds.
“I still have to change my role a bit. I’m starting in clubland (at the Storm), so the mindset and role changes a bit coming off the bench (for Queensland).
“But it’s something that I’ve done plenty of times before so I’m looking forward to it.”
Grant’s former Storm colleague Nicho Hynes is under enormous pressure to succeed for the Blues at halfback in Origin I. Grant wishes Hynes no ill-will, but the Maroons plan to turn the screws on the rookie Blues playmaker and draw first blood at Homebush.
“I’m not going out there to lose myself,” Grant said.
“I want to win and do it collectively for the state of Queensland.
“They (Queensland fans) will be watching our every move so we know who we are playing for and why we are doing it.
“My mind doesn’t shift too much about the opposition and what it means for them.”
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Originally published as Queensland Maroons Origin news: Daly Cherry-Evans considers rep retirement to extend NRL career at Manly
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