Why every Roosters fan should be nervous about signing Daly Cherry-Evans
The likely signing of Manly’s Daly Cherry-Evans is being sold as something that will aid the Roosters’ playmaking growth, writes DAVID RICCIO. But why do the Roosters need to sign a 36-year-old to succeed?
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The last person the Roosters are going to take advice from is Brandon Smith, the expensive hooker who has played his last game for the club.
However, as Smith cleans out his locker to join rivals South Sydney, there’s an element of truth in what the 28-year-old has been saying this week.
Smith suggested to Fox Sports that whatever the Roosters do with the money the club has saved by releasing him to the Rabbitohs, he hopes they pour it into extending the future of the club’s most talented rookies including the likes of Blake Steep, Naufahu Whyte and Billy Smith.
“Instead of a new toy,” Smith said.
Smith makes a valid point, lending reason to why the Roosters should for now, call it quits on trying to sign sugar hits or superstars, and at the very least Chooks fans should be nervous about signing a 36-year-old Daly Cherry-Evans.
Rival fans won’t cop it, but outside of champion fullback James Tedesco, in his eighth season with the club, and rugby union recruit Mark Nawaqanitawase, the Roosters’ greatest assets have all been players they have developed from within.
Alongside Steep, Whyte and Smith, the likes of Robert Toia, Connor Watson, Sandon Smith, Hugo Savala, Egan Butcher and Salesi Foketi all began their NRL journey inside the Roosters system.
Fans of Penrith, Melbourne and Cronulla – all frequent finals contenders in the past four years – read the above knowingly, of how backing their own development players has elevated them towards top-eight consistency.
In the 1980s, the Roosters were regarded as a transit lounge, a term Jack Gibson coined due to their rapid turnover of players.
The interest in Cherry-Evans in the wake of the departure of players just 10 rounds into this season including highly-paid winger Dominic Young, Smith and prop Terrell May, before a ball was kicked this year, has led rival clubs to start mentioning Jack’s old turn of phrase when the discussion turns to the Chooks.
The Roosters argue that every club recruit’s a big-name player, which is absolutely true.
But few clubs, if any, have tapped so many of their major recruits on the shoulder in such a short space of time.
David Fifita was another target, a win or loss for the Chooks, no one will ever know.
Roosters fans view the club’s recruitment miss of the Titans backrower as a win, given the enigma’s current form.
However, Roosters officials maintain today that under the tutelage of coach Trent Robinson, Fifita would be a vastly different player.
Still, Fifita was a massive $1 million dollar play by the Roosters, when in reality, did they really need to go all-in when out on the edge this season has been the outstanding Angus Crichton, who will wear a Blues jersey in two weeks and who has been at the club since 2019?
On the opposite edge to Crichton, has been Siua Wong, who joined the club as a 14-year-old.
Wong, on half of Fifita’s salary, has produced more line break assists according to the Fox Lab, more offloads and made just two less metres on average than what Fifita has this season for the Titans.
The likely signing of Manly’s Daly Cherry-Evans, confusing in the eyes of many within the game, is being sold as a signing that will aid the playmaking growth of Sam Walker, Hugo Savala, Sandon Smith and SG Ball playmaker Toby Rodwell.
That’s hard to argue against.
But what is also difficult to debate is that at least one or two of those halves will have their NRL experience stunted by the arrival of Cherry-Evans.
Savala’s manager Steve Gillis mentioned on Thursday that discussing the possibility of “loaning” Savala to a rival club if Cherry-Evans joins the Roosters isn’t without contemplation.
The Roosters board boasts some of the most successful businessmen in the country.
They have moulded the club’s wealth into a juggernaut, to the point they have just purchased a 26-room apartment block across the road from Allianz Stadium, taking the club’s real estate portfolio to a value of over $100 million.
The motivation behind buying the leafy and large terrace-style residence on Moore Park Road is to house their brightest young talent within their academy and their visiting families a place to live.
Off the field, the Roosters are investing heavily in their youngest talent.
On the field, they should drink from the same well, instead of chasing a new toy.
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Originally published as Why every Roosters fan should be nervous about signing Daly Cherry-Evans
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