Sea Eagles skipper Daly Cherry-Evans insists he hasn’t made a decision regarding his future despite strong speculation he will be at the Roosters in 2026, with the veteran halfback not ruling out returning to Manly in a coaching capacity down the track.
The Roosters can ensure he ends his Manly career this Friday night if Trent Robinson’s side beats the Rabbitohs, with the Sea Eagles needing to thrash the Warriors and hope the Dolphins and Roosters both lose.
Barring a minor miracle, Friday’s game against the Warriors at Brookvale will be his 352nd and final game for the club, with Cherry-Evans set to end his career on the northern beaches against the team be beat in the grand final in his first year.
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Cherry-Evans started Tuesday’s media opportunity by telling reporters he wouldn’t answer questions about his future, but attention soon turned to what he’ll be doing in 2026 when he’ll turn 37.
The veteran halfback stunned fans earlier this year when he announced he wouldn’t be at Manly next year, with speculation rife since then that he’s got a handshake deal to move to the Roosters.
It’s why after 13 minutes he was asked point blank whether he was going to the Roosters next year.
“I’m going to say thank you for your time. I’ll see you later,” he replied.
Cherry-Evans was also asked if the delayed decision was so he wouldn’t be a distraction, if he genuinely didn’t know or if he wanted to do it in his own time.
He answered “all of the above” to that question and confirmed he didn’t have a date in mind for when he might make a final call on his future either way, with teammates backing him to eventually reach the 400-game milestone.
“We’ll see. I don’t make those decisions lightly and sort of find it best in years gone by to not make that decision during the season,” he said when asked if he still had petrol in the tank to keep playing.
“More than likely we’re going to be on break next week, so I think it’s a good time to stop, take stock and see what’s ahead.”
Cherry-Evans got emotional at times when explaining what the club and the supporters meant to him over his illustrious career, with a potential coaching return down the track still an option for a guy who could walk into a media role if he wanted.
“That is such a big question because the short answer is I don’t know what I want to do when I retire from footy,” he said.
“I would like to think that over the time here that I’ve made some amazing friendships and relationships. If the club thought I could offer something to the next generation, then I’d be grateful to look at those things.
“It’s so far away so I don’t even know what I’d be good at or what I’m going to like. Those big questions, I’m not ready to tackle.
“As you get older, you certainly start to think a bit more about what life after footy looks like. But to be honest, a big part of my philosophy has been all the eggs in one basket. It’s one year at a time and going for it.
“In turn, I feel like that helps me play my best footy. I have been thinking about it more as I’ve gotten older. Naturally, I still think I have something to offer the game in regards to some levels of coaching.
“I don’t know if I’d be good at it, but I feel like I might have some knowledge to pass onto the next generation.
“Footy is a soft landing for me, but as a person, I’m very curious. There’s a big world out there and there are lots of things I’d like to try before committing. If you’ve got a job in rugby league, then you’re pretty privileged.”
