Coaches, legends, experts weigh in on Daly Cherry-Evans’ decision to quit Manly
Daly Cherry-Evans said his reason for broadcasting his cryptic decision to leave Manly was to avoid the inevitable scrutiny. Boy, did his plan backfire. See which teams are in and out as coaches weigh in on signing DCE.
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Wayne Bennett, Michael Maguire and Phil Gould have firmly rejected talk of signing Daly Cherry-Evans, while Darren Lockyer and Des Hasler have also weighed in on the halfback’s future.
GUS GOULD
-Dean Ritchie
Canterbury won’t be pursuing Manly star Daly Cherry-Evans.
The Bulldogs were being discussed as a legitimate option for the departing Cherry-Evans but the club has elected against chasing the departing Sea Eagles playmaker.
While Toby Sexton has claimed the Bulldogs halfback spot, many felt Cherry-Evans would have been a strong fit at Canterbury.
But the Queensland skipper won’t be at Belmore from next season.
Bulldogs general manager of football, Phil Gould, was considered a key weapon in the hunt for Cherry-Evans.
But Gould and Canterbury have elected against pursuing Cherry-Evans.
“I really admire DCE as a person,” Gould said.
“He’s an ornament to the game. Obviously I’ve been a fan of his football his whole career. But Daly Cherry-Evans will not be coming to the Bulldogs.”
“He (Cherry-Evans) is a great player and has done a lot for the game but we have Toby at the moment,” said Bulldogs fullback Connor Tracey.
TRENT ROBINSON
The Roosters are set to enter the race for the signature of Daly Cherry-Evans after coach Trent Robinson said he would “look at” bringing the veteran halfback to the Bondi club.
“It’s pretty rare that a player like that comes on the market, especially at this time of the year,” Robinson said on Thursday.
“We haven’t discussed it, is the first thing, it’s pretty big news for the game obviously.
“But as a business you have to look at it as well, I’d say we get to that once we know a bit more info about decisions being made.
“It’ll be pretty interesting to see in what direction he wants to go in the next few months.
The Roosters are committed to injured halfback Sam Walker, who is on track to return from an ACL injury in late May, as the side’s long-term halfback.
Former Cowboys no.7 Chad Townsend has been filling in for Walker but is not expected to remain at the Roosters beyond this year.
Rising five-eighth Sandon Smith is also contracted until the end of 2026, while rookie halves Toby Rodwell and Jake Elliott are also part of the club’s halves stocks.
“We are set on a path, I think people were waiting for us to do something last year (when Luke Keary left the club) but we are pretty clear about what we have been doing with our halves. We are clear about the development of them and that doesn’t change,” Robinson said.
Already, a move to the Roosters for Daly Cherry-Evans has drawn comparisons to the Bondi club’s coup of Melbourne champion halfback Cooper Cronk - a signing that delivered Robinson back to back premierships.
But Robinson was coy when asked whether the addition of Cherry-Evans to his roster would have a similar impact to that of Cronk.
“For us, we know which direction we are headed. We do have to be aware of (player) movement, but a lot of things have got to happen,” Robinson said.
“We don’t know anything around those things. We have to keep clear on our goals as a club.”
MICHAEL MAGUIRE
-Peter Badel
Michael Maguire has ruled out signing Daly Cherry-Evans.
Cherry-Evans has sent the NRL player market into a frenzy following his Brookvale bombshell at a time when Brisbane’s chief halfback, Adam Reynolds, is weighing up his future at Red Hill.
Reynolds is off-contract and while he hasn’t made a definitive call, it is expected the Broncos skipper will retire at season’s end, leaving a potential vacancy at No.7 if Ben Hunt continues to flourish at five-eighth.
Tipped to play on next season, Cherry-Evans would only seriously consider clubs that can deliver the 36-year-old a premiership in his twilight years and there’s no question the Broncos possess a title-winning roster.
But while Brisbane’s derby rivals at Suncorp Stadium, the Dolphins, are keen on DCE, Maguire says the Broncos not only lack the salary-cap budget, but are happy with their scrumbase stocks.
Asked if he is interested in Cherry-Evans, Maguire made it clear the Maroons skipper won’t finish his career in Broncos colours.
“No, I’m focused on what we are doing here,” Maguire said.
“I will leave that one alone.
“Obviously there is plenty going on there (with Cherry-Evans), but I am focused on what we have to do (against the Dolphins).”
Asked if the Broncos could afford Cherry-Evans, Maguire added: “No, our focus is what we are doing now with who we have got.
“That’s the key here.”
DES HASLER
Titans coach Des Hasler has refused to rule out making a bid to reunite with Manly halfback Daly Cherry-Evans on the Gold Coast.
The Queensland Origin captain was handed his NRL debut by Hasler in Manly’s 2011 premiership season and the duo have maintained a strong relationship over 15 years.
Cherry-Evans’ good mate and halves partner in the 2011 grand final win, Kieran Foran, is also at the Titans.
Cherry-Evans and wife Vessa invited Hasler to their wedding on Sydney’s northern beaches last year.
“Rugby league is the game that keeps giving, isn’t it?” he said.
“At the moment, I’m not going to go down that rabbit warren, so to speak.
“I’ll say it once, we are really happy with the (roster) retention that we have and direction we are taking.
“Knowing Cherry, and his management team are also pretty smart, they’ll sit back now and wait. There’s a lot more to play out.
“That’s all I’m going to say about that so no more questions because I’ll just straight bat ya.”
Hasler coached Cherry-Evans for a total of five NRL seasons across two stints at Brookvale Oval.
KRISTIAN WOOLF
Dolphins coach Kristian Woolf has assured Isaiya Katoa he has a long-term future at the club as the Redcliffe organisation circles departing Manly champion Daly Cherry-Evans.
The Dolphins have confirmed their interest in Cherry-Evans and are watching the Sea Eagles contract brouhaha closely after the Queensland Origin skipper revealed his intention to quit Manly at season’s end.
“I don’t want to comment about Daly because I don’t want to disrupt our halves,” Woolf said.
“I don’t want Isaiya thinking we are looking at other sevens.
“What I will say is that Isaiya is our seven and I’ve made it clear he’s our halfback moving forward.
“He is a very skilful, very talented young man.”
There is a view the Dolphins could benefit by recruiting Cherry-Evans as a mentor for the emerging Katoa, who is rated by many good judges as the NRL’s best young playmaker since Nathan Cleary.
WAYNE BENNETT
Wayne Bennett has ruled out reuniting with Cherry-Evans at South Sydney.
“I won’t be signing Daly Cherry-Evans,” Bennett said.
“The truth is we haven’t got the salary cap room for Daly.
“I’m not being disrespectful to Daly. I coached him in Origin and he is one of the great players of our game, but we don’t have the salary space for him.
“We just signed Brandon Smith, so we can’t fit him in he cap.
“He might drop his price a bit with his age but the reality is he is on big money at Manly and we just can’t afford him.
“Daly would be good for any club he goes to.
“At this stage of his life, he knows the game as well as anybody and he knows how to prepare. He still wants to play Origin. He would be a great asset to any club.”
Bennett was steadfast in how the circus is bad for the NRL.
“This does nothing for the game. It does nothing for the club. It’s wrong and I wish we’d fix it,” Bennett said.
“You don’t see this in Aussie rules, they are our major competitor.
“We’ve hit the self-destruct button four weeks into a football season that’s already provided some great football.
“The whole focus is on what a couple of players or clubs have done. So, clubs have done whatever the case. It just shouldn’t happen. It shouldn’t be allowed to happen.”
DARREN LOCKYER
Queensland legend Darren Lockyer predicts Cherry-Evans will wind up at the Roosters.
“I know DCE has got history with the Titans to a certain degree, but he has the relationship with Des. When you’re at that age, you’re starting to think what happens after footy and maybe Queensland is where there’s more opportunity for him,” Lockyer said on Wide World of Sports’ QLDER.
“I think, Sam Walker is more suited for someone else to run the team. Sam plays off the cuff a bit. So I think (Walker and Cherry-Evans) would combine pretty well.
“The Roosters shed quite a lot of players. They have got some cap space. It is intriguing … he didn’t play for Australia at the end of last year and I think he has come out and started the season really well.”
TONY MESTROV
Sea Eagles CEO Tony Mestrov said the club had no ill-will against Cherry-Evans.
“I just want to clarify at this point that there’s no animosity between Daly and the club,” Mestrov said.
“There is no problem within the club with Daly, there’s no problem at all with Daly.
“Daly’s told a few teammates that it will be his last year and it’s up to Daly to quantify that or whatever he wants to do, but the ball’s in sport in regard to the offer.
“ … I don’t think he’s still certain around what he wants to do. He doesn’t know if he wants to retire.
“He’s got a coaching offer from us to coach beyond that. But it’s his decision. We obviously discussed an offer back in October, November. Daly said, look, I’m not sure if I want to retire, I’m not sure if I want to go overseas, but it will be the last year at Manly.
“We respected that and I think it’s his decision.”
Originally published as Coaches, legends, experts weigh in on Daly Cherry-Evans’ decision to quit Manly
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