‘Toxic’: Handwritten note emerges in Daly Cherry-Evans ‘mayhem’

More details are emerging about the “toxic” goings-on behind the scenes before Daly Cherry-Evans pulled the trigger on his club.

More details are emerging about the wild goings-on behind the scenes before Daly Cherry-Evans pulled the trigger on his club on Monday with suggestions things had already turned “toxic”.

It comes as an extraordinary handwritten note emerged to show the absolute mayhem that unfolded in the developments leading up to the Manly captain’s decision to reject a last-gasp contract offer live on TV.

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The timeline of the farcical situation has been patched together by Code Sports with the circumstances behind Manly’s contract extension offer showing how the situation turned suddenly chaotic on Monday.

Code Sports reports it was Fox Sports boss Steve Crawley that contacted Sea Eagles chief executive Tony Mestrov in the middle of Fox League’s NRL 360 live show before reporting the Sea Eagles’ two-year contract extension offer, reported to be worth $1.5 million.

It was one of the first developments in what leading journalists Brent Read and David Riccio have described as “two hours of mayhem”.

You can watch the moment the note appeared on NRL 360 in the video player above.

Code Sports reports the note that was handed to Braith Anasta on NRL 360.

Braith Anasta reads the note on the run on Fox League's NRL 360.

According to reports, Cherry-Evans was blindsided by the late offer and has told those close to him he only found out about it in the moments before he appeared on Channel 9’s 100% Footy where he respectfully knocked back the offer, saying he will not be at Manly in 2026.

Sea Eagles chairman Scott Penn and Mestrov were reportedly caught off guard by Cherry-Evans’ TV appearance, however, it has been reported by The Sydney Morning Herald that DCE had told a number of club officials and several teammates, including brothers Jake and Tom Trbojevic, about his decision.

Code Sports has captured the chaotic scenes when news first emerged the Queensland State of Origin captain was leaving the Sea Eagles at the end of 2025.

According to the report, NRL360 executive producer Mitch Diffin wrote the breaking news on a piece of paper and handed it to NRL 360 host Braith Anasta in the middle of a segment.

Anasta cut off his co-hosts to then read out the note with a stunned expression on his face.

The scrap of paper is symbolic of the absolute madness that unfolded on Monday, but it has now been reported that the drama had begun months ago when informal talks between Cherry-Evans’ management and Sea Eagles officials did not progress towards a formal contract offer.

It emerged on Monday, the Sea Eagles had failed to make Cherry-Evans an offer — and were instead waiting to see what offers rival clubs would table to him first.

That strategy has been widely described as “bizarre”.

It had been widely speculated there had to be more to the story for it to play out as it did on Monday, despite Mestrov and Cherry-Evans insisting there was no animosity between the halfback and the NRL club.

However, Code Sports has now revealed how messy the situation turned after negotiations were put on the backburner last year.

“The issue largely went quiet through January and February but it heated up in March until one of the biggest stories of the year exploded on national television on Monday night, leading to two hours of mayhem as Manly officials and their talismanic captain aired their dirty linen in the most public of ways,” Code Sports reports.

“It was frantic and frazzling. Equal parts mayhem and madness.”

The publication went on to write: “You get the feeling as much as Manly would love to keep Cherry-Evans next year, the relationship is both toxic and untenable”.

That was echoed on Tuesday night’s NRL 360 with Fox League suggesting the Sea Eagles are privately filthy with DCE.

Leading NRL journalist Dean Ritchie said on Fox League: “I think Daly wanted to manage the narrative here and he’s got in early and that’s irritated Manly.

Daly Cherry-Evans lobs the biggest grenade of the season. Photo by Jeremy Ng/Getty Images.

“Take it as read they’re not happy. Take it as read, they are filthy. There is absolutely animosity.

“This is Manly’s window to win a premiership. Cherry’s last thing he wants to accomplish is win another premiership. He’s got two years in front of him, he could retire as a one-club legend, it’s all there and he says ‘I don’t want to play for you anymore’.”

The Sydney Morning Herald reported the animosity went both ways.

According to the publication, the Sea Eagles’ last-gasp contract offer, announced by Anasta, was seen by the Kangaroos great as a “slap in the face”.

Ritchie, meanwhile, believes an announcement on which club Cherry-Evans will join is imminent.

“I have no doubt he’s got another club and that they’re paying him top dollar and Manly know it, they’re not stupid,” he said.

“They fear him walking out the door because he’s got big money elsewhere and I reckon that will be announced in the next 3-4 weeks.”

The Roosters, Dolphins and Dragons are reported to be the leading candidates to get Cherry-Evans’ signature.

— with foxsports.com.au