‘You’ve got to look at it’: Roosters don’t rule out Daly Cherry-Evans interest as Cooper Cronk links emerge

The Roosters never expected to land Cooper Cronk, they now have the chance to do something similar with Daly Cherry-Evans.

Roosters coach Trent Robinson says the club hasn’t ruled out a play for Daly Cherry-Evans for 2026 and beyond, with teams to start ramping up their interest in the champion playmaker as it becomes clearer what he wants to do next year.

Monday’s shock announcement that Cherry-Evans wouldn’t be at the Sea Eagles beyond this season has dominated the headlines this week, with the Roosters, Dolphins, Bulldogs and Titans emerging as the frontrunners for his services.

“We haven’t discussed it,” Robinson said on Thursday.

“It’s pretty big news for the game. It’s pretty rare that a player like that comes on the market, especially at this time of the year.

“We haven’t discussed it as yet, but as a business, you’ve got to look at it. I say we’ll get to it when we know a bit more and decisions get made.”

The Roosters are one of the favourites to sign Daly Cherry-Evans. Picture: Jeremy Ng/Getty Images

The Roosters have room in the salary cap to go after a big name given they’ve lost guys like Joseph Manu, Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii, Luke Keary and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.

Veteran playmaker Chad Townsend was signed on a one-year deal for 2025 as cover for rising star Sam Walker, who tore his ACL last season, while the club sees Sandon Smith as a long-term Rooster.

There are a couple of young playmakers coming through the Roosters academy, but they are still a while away and would benefit greatly from having someone like Cherry-Evans there to aid their development.

It’s a logical fit for Cherry-Evans, who wouldn’t have to leave Sydney, with the Roosters moving swiftly to sign Cooper Cronk from the Storm when he suddenly became available, with the champion halfback leading them to two titles in two seasons.

“The thing for us is we know what direction we’re headed,” Robinson said.

“You do have to be aware of movement and understanding all that, but a lot of things have got to happen.

“We don’t know anything around all of those things, so we’ve got to keep clear on our goals as a club and a team, and we’re going to keep going with that, but you’ve also got to be adaptable as well.

“We’re set on a path. I think people were waiting for us to do things last year, but we’ve been pretty clear about what we’ve been doing with our players and our halves.

“We’re pretty clear about them and their development, and that doesn’t change. We’re still heading on that path.”

The Roosters won two titles in as many years with veteran halfback Cooper Cronk at the club. Picture: NRL Photos

The Cherry-Evans news comes weeks after the Knights signed Dylan Brown to the richest deal in NRL history, with the actual games being starved of attention due to contract interest.

Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett said it was a blight on the game to have the early rounds overshadowed by contract news, with the veteran calling for a transfer window to be introduced.

Robinson said the onus was on the NRL and the Rugby League Players Association to find a solution to it all, with the Roosters boss making it clear what he wants fans, the media and clubs to focus on.

“I would always choose footy. I think we should talk about the game,” he said, as Nat Butcher prepares to play game 150 against the Titans on Friday night.

“There’s so much good stuff that goes on in every single game, and if we looked at that and championed that … they do a really good job of championing the on-field and the stars in that moment (in the NFL).

Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett isn’t a fan of the current transfer system. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

“We champion the stories off the field a lot more, around the players that are on the field.

“But I think a little bit more on-field, if we left space for that a little bit more with talking about performances in games and how the games are played, how teams play the game, I think that would improve a bit.

“I’m really interested in whether we actually love this or if we don’t. I think that’s a really interesting question.

“People are saying they want a transfer window so we don’t have this circus going on at different times, but then we’d have to talk about the footy. Are we prepared for that?

“I’m unsure whether we really want it or not as a game because of the amount of interest in it and the amount of discussion we have around it.”

Originally published as ‘You’ve got to look at it’: Roosters don’t rule out Daly Cherry-Evans interest as Cooper Cronk links emerge