Another NRL team has confirmed that they will not pursue the services of Manly Sea Eagles skipper Daly Cherry-Evans after he informed his current club that he will be leaving at the end of the season.
Although he turned 36 in February, Cherry-Evans is still one of the elite playmakers in the competition and has been a staple of the QLD Maroons side in the State of Origin arena.
While Onitoni Large and Joey Walsh are hot on the tail of the 2011 Grand Final winner and considered the Sea Eagles' future, the veteran's future remains clouded, but he is likely to keep playing beyond this season.
However, it will not be with the Manly Sea Eagles.
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After the St George Illawarra Dragons exited the hunt to sign him on Tuesday, the South Sydney Rabbitohs have become the latest club that will not be pursuing his services from next season onwards.
It is understood that the Sydney Roosters and Dolphins are the frontrunners at the moment to secure his services, with the latter confirming interest in recruiting him via the club's CEO Terry Reader, on Monday, per The Courier-Mail.
"We don't have money in the salary cap," Rabbitohs coach Wayne Bennett said on Wednesday.
"If you haven't got a halfback and you're struggling a bit, of course a club will do whatever you can to get your hands on him. They don't come up too often like this.
"I'm sure wherever Daly goes, he'll be good for them as well. There'll be some club that will need a halfback and probably pretty close to being the top team, but they just haven't got the right player at halfback right now.
"He's virtually injury-free. Plays good football every week, so he's not ready for retirement, that's one place he's not going."
With the Dragons and Rabbitohs now out of the race, former Gold Coast Titans recruitment manager Jamie Mathiou has urged the club to sign him despite the controversial history between the two parties.
The controversy stems from 2015 when he signed a four-year contract with the club, only to backflip on the deal three months later to remain in the Northern Beaches.
Next year, the Titans won't have any recognised playmakers in their halves with Kieran Foran set to retire and AJ Brimson and Jayden Campbell slotting into the halves, despite both converting from the fullback position.
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โThey need an experienced half and Des has got a relationship with him,โ Mathiou told The Courier-Mail.
โAt the end of the day, Daly made a business decision. With business decisions, sometimes they fall your way, sometimes they don't.
โI'd look at it that way. It wasn't a personal thing. Because it's sport, people take it personally, but he has a family and a business essentially.
โIf the Titans want an experienced half to help these young kids then he can do it. If Daly wanted to come up this way then why not?โ
While he confirmed it would be his last season at the Northern Beaches, he has yet to make up his mind on whether he will hang up the boots or sign with another team.
However, all reports indicate that he will continue to play as long as his body is in shape and he remains fit and healthy.
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"Yeah, of course," Cherry-Evans told Zero Tackle earlier this season when questioned if he hopes to play beyond this year.
"Not willing to give it away just yet but a season's a long time, so it's hard to look into the future now.
"It's so far away. It's honestly so far away and people want timelines and people want answers but ultimately that's just not where I'm at.
"I'm just confident if I can play this year, I'll give it my best. Whether I want to play or not play next year, it'll get looked after."
