Wayne Bennett calls for NRL transfer window in response to Daly Cherry-Evans brouhaha

Wayne Bennett has had enough of contract sagas and has called on the NRL to take a leaf out of the AFL’s book when it comes to player transfers.

Souths coach Wayne Bennett has taken aim at the NRL and called for a trade window after blasting the code for hitting the “self-destruct button” over the Daly Cherry-Evans contract brouhaha.

On the eve of Souths’ showdown with premiers Penrith, Bennett lashed the NRL as “silly” for allowing the Cherry-Evans saga to be played out just weeks into the 2025 premiership.

Cherry-Evans’ Brookvale bombshell is set to ignite the player market with a host of clubs, including the Dolphins, Roosters and Dragons, linked to the Manly skipper in the wake of his decision to quit Manly.

But Bennett says the Cherry-Evans firestorm could have been avoided entirely if the NRL had a specific trade window in place, as occurs in the AFL and NFL, to prevent constant contract sagas.

Daly Cherry-Evans and Wayne Bennett had a winning combination at the Maroons in 2020. Picture: Peter Wallis

IT SHOULDN’T BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN

Asked if the NRL needs a trade window, Bennett said: “Absolutely, absolutely.

“You don’t see this in Aussie Rules, in their game … and 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.”

Under a trade window, NRL clubs would only be allowed to engage in player transfers during a specified period, as opposed to the current environment where a virtual open-slather policy allows movement at any time.

Clubs, however, do have up until June 30 each year to ensure their 30-man full-time rosters are filled.

Bennett said the DCE contract spat with Manly has been laughable.

“I just enjoyed the entertainment that it has provided for everybody else in the game,” Bennett said.

“The silliness of us as a game that we allow it to happen.

“This does nothing for the game.

“It does nothing for the club. It’s wrong and I wish we’d fix it

COULD DCE HEAD ‘HOME’ TO DOLPHINS?

Bennett has ruled out reuniting with Cherry-Evans at South Sydney as the Dolphins left the door ajar for the Queensland Origin star to finish his NRL career at Redcliffe.

While Manly boss Tony Mestrov refuses to give up hope of keeping Cherry-Evans, the Maroons maestro intends to fly the Sea Eagles nest at season’s end and says retirement is a possibility.

But the 36-year-old is open to the prospect of playing elsewhere in 2026, triggering interest from the Dolphins, who have the salary-cap space to make a competitive offer for Cherry-Evans.

South Sydney are one Sydney rival in desperate need of a proven premiership-winning halfback.

The jury remains out on injured English import Lewis Dodd, while early-season surprise packet Jamie Humphreys, 23, is just three games into his Rabbitohs career after his off-season move from the Sea Eagles.

Bennett has a strong rapport with Cherry-Evans – the pair were captain and coach of the Queensland team that conjured an Origin series miracle win in 2020 – but the Rabbitohs mentor says he won’t be entering a ‘DCE’ bidding war.

The Dolphins are open to bringing Redcliffe junior Cherry-Evans home to Queensland.

“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.”

Bennett is adamant of one thing: Cherry-Evans is not a spent force.

The 332-game veteran turns 37 in February and Bennett, who coached the Dolphins last season, believes Cherry-Evans would be a handy mentor for rising Redcliffe playmaker Isaiya Katoa.

‘STILL A BLOODY GOOD PLAYER’

The Roosters are tipped to win Cherry-Evans’ signature if he plays on in 2026, but the Manly skipper, a proud Queenslander, would consider the Dolphins given his history as a Redcliffe junior.

“Daly would be good for any club he goes to,” Bennett said.

“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 if the Dolphins were keen on him.

“Daly is still a bloody good player. There’s no doubt he would add something to Souths. He is injury-free, he plays season after season and he is remarkably professional, so I wish him well.”

The Dolphins have some critical decisions to make over the composition of their scrumbase. Foundation halfback Sean O’Sullivan is off-contract this season, while Katoa’s current halves partner, five-eighth Kodi Nikorima, is a free agent from November 1.

Unlike other NRL clubs, the Dolphins do not have a $1 million superstar on their books, giving them the salary-cap funds to be a legitimate contender for Cherry-Evans’ signature.

Cherry-Evans could mentor Isaiya Katoa at the Dolphins.

Dolphins chief executive Terry Reader said while the club has interest, they are monitoring the Cherry-Evans situation closely as he weighs up whether to play beyond his 37th birthday next year.

“The facts here are that we are very happy with the players we have signed moving into 2026,” he said.

“This is the NRL, and part of your job is to explore interest from good players.

“But in this case, that (signing Cherry-Evans) is not an issue now as the player himself said he wants to take some time to gauge what he wants to do.

“At this point, all we are focusing on is getting ready for the biggest club game of the year – the Battle for Brisbane against the Broncos on Friday.”

Manly CEO Mestrov rubbished suggestions the Sea Eagles dithered during contract negotiations and is up for the fight if the Roosters and Dolphins make a formal play for Cherry-Evans.

“We are in there, we would love to keep Daly,” he said.

“I still think there is an element of retirement with Daly, so that’s why we are respecting him and have kept our distance.

“Daly is a proud Queenslander, but we’re still hopeful he will finish his career as a one-club man with Manly.”

Originally published as Wayne Bennett calls for NRL transfer window in response to Daly Cherry-Evans brouhaha