Dolphins to remain loyal to injured prop Tom Flegler as they wait for Daly Cherry-Evans to make call on future

Tom Flegler is facing two years on the sideline with a rare shoulder nerve problem, leaving the Dolphins with a $3.5 million salary cap conundrum as they wait for Daly Cherry-Evans to make a call on his future.

The Dolphins will stand by injured prop Tom Flegler amid a $3.5 million salary cap conundrum as they wait for Queensland captain Daly Cherry-Evans to make a call on his future.

While the Titans have somewhat distanced themselves from ‘DCE’ ahead of Saturday night’s showdown with the Dolphins, their rivals are ready to roll out the welcome mat at Redcliffe for the disgruntled Manly skipper.

Cherry-Evans will depart the Sea Eagles at season’s end following a bitter divorce with the club he has played for since Manly’s 2011 premiership season.

He is yet to commit to playing on in 2026, but it is hard to see Cherry-Evans retiring given the rich form he has shown in the early parts of the season.

The Dolphins have the salary cap space to launch a $1 million-a-season bid for Cherry-Evans and they could do with his class following a winless start to the 2025 NRL season under new coach Kristian Woolf.

Dolphins CEO Terry Reader said the club was waiting for Cherry-Evans to make a call on whether he was interested in returning to his junior home at Redcliffe.

Tom Flegler has been sidelined since April last year with a rare shoulder nerve problem. Picture: NRL Images

“We are pretty settled with the squad we’ve got and who we have but this is the NRL and if someone of Daly’s quality is interested in talking to us then we’d be interested in talking to him,” he said.

“He’s taking time to work out what he’s doing. If Daly decides he wants to talk to us when he has made his mind up, then we will talk.

“Who knows what Daly’s doing? He’s said he wants some time to think about what’s next for him and if he’ll play on.

“When he comes around to that decision and wants to talk to our club then obviously we’re going to talk to him.

The Dolphins have the salary cap room to make a play for Daly Cherry-Evans.Picture: Tom Parrish

“Anything prior to that is pure speculation and no one knows the answer.

“He’s in no rush and we’re not worried about what Daly’s doing. We’re worried about what our team’s doing.”

While a formal pursuit of Cherry-Evans remains in the air, the Dolphins are also in limbo when it comes to the future of Flegler.

Flegler, 25, hasn’t played since April 6 last year due to a rare shoulder nerve problem and is unlikely to feature this season.

The Maroons and Kangaroos prop is one of Redcliffe’s highest-paid players on a four-year contract worth about $3.5 million.

That is a lot of money sitting on the sidelines, particularly for a team lacking midfield muscle as evidenced by their signing of disgruntled Dragons prop Frank Molo last week.

If Flegler doesn’t recover well enough to survive the rigours of the NRL the Dolphins will have to investigate having him medically retired, which would provide salary cap relief and enable them to find a replacement.

The Dolphins are willing to wait on Tom Flegler. Picture: Chris Hyde/Getty Images

But they are willing to give Flegler time to fight back from the injury, even if it means waiting up to two years for him to return.

“We’ll have a lot more clarity this year on what’s happening with ‘Flegs’,” Reader said.

“He’s one of the best props in the game and if not, was the best when he got injured.

“He only played four games last year and this year he’s unlikely as well.

“We are taking that into account all the time. You saw us sign Frank Molo last week when he became available because it’s a role in our squad we’re missing with ‘Flegs’ on the sideline.

“With the salary cap, it’s not a simple science fitting things in and making it all work. It’s a lot harder than it seems to the outside world.

“We’re making sure we can balance it all and we have a squad that competes.”

The Titans have also been linked with Cherry-Evans given coach Des Hasler’s relationship with his former protégé at Manly.

Gold Coast CEO Steve Mitchell gave an unconvincing response when asked if that club had any interest in the halfback that infamously backflipped on a signed contract with the Titans in 2015.

“If he came for free it’d be great,” he said.

“Not really (any interest). We’re happy, as Des said, with our succession planning and where we’re going.

“We’re happy with our roster.”

Originally published as Dolphins to remain loyal to injured prop Tom Flegler as they wait for Daly Cherry-Evans to make call on future