Manly Sea Eagles captain Daly Cherry-Evans has opened up about a range of issues regarding his departure from the club at the end of the season.
Speaking to the media after Manly's win over the Parramatta Eels on Sunday afternoon, Cherry-Evans detailed some of his decision, and thanked the club's fans for the reception he received from a packed out Brookvale during the contest.
After what has been a difficult week for the Sea Eagles given their captain's decision to depart at the end of the year, the Sea Eagles raced out to an early lead against Parramatta and then scrapped their way to the win without an injured Tom Trbojevic during the second half.
Cherry-Evans admitted he was concerned over the type of reception he was going to get from the club's fan base, and how the playing group would perform, but the captain said he was 'proud' of the way things panned out.
โWe are so appreciative and grateful of our fans. Today was not an easy day to come to the footy, there was a lot of people that could have stayed at home today based on the weather. It was sunny one minute and raining the next and it continued during the day and during the game. For people to fill that hill was really special," Cherry-Evans said during the post-match press conference.
โIt's not a place that we come here and expect to win, but the people that fill the hill certainly add to it and they make us feel special. It's a place that you want to do your fans proud and we really appreciate the support that we had today.
โMy two biggest worries were how it affected the team and it was so great to see us get out and there and get the result. Things were changing on the run with injuries and stuff so it was really really pleasing that we stayed on the task and got the win so that was a concern.
โThe reception, I was a bit nervous, but honestly, I was really emotional today when I heard the hill supporting me. I was a little bit worried it wasn't going to go that way based on what was being put in the media, but I reckon they saw right through it and made me so proud that they are supporting me.
โI get that this decision isn't going to make everyone happy and I have owned that from the start, but the reception I got today, it made me really proud to be captain of Manly."
The veteran representative halfback has been in the news all week after his decision on Monday, and admitted things got 'ugly' and 'nasty' with the ongoing talk of a falling out between him and the club.
At one point, the captain said he believed there had been a 'smear campaign' in the media, and elaborated on that when quizzed.
โWell obviously there was a fair bit spoken after the announcement was made on Monday night. I thought it could have ended pretty quickly early in the week but it obviously didn't which means conversations were continuing to happen outside of the ones happening between the club and I, so that's where I felt like it got a bit nasty and a bit ugly,โ he said.
โWhile it's hard not to take things personally at times because we are all human, one thing I have gotten pretty good and used to is controlling the things that you can control and keeping your focus on the things you can control which is your footy side and your family, so I did that the best I could this week.
โI know who it's coming from and it's not appropriate to talk about it. You guys obviously know where it's coming from as well, but I'm old enough and big enough to handle it and people are aware of it. I don't mind that I've made people aware of it. The thing I can control again is how I act and how I respond to it, and there is no bigger response than making sure you do your job for your team and get a win.
โThere were times during the week when it was a little bit hurtful, but again, because I'm a little bit older, a little bit wiser, because I'm so content with the decision made, it doesn't last too long to be completely honest. As I said, there is a human element so your emotions and feelings do get hurt sometimes, but it's not long lasting which is great.
โI don't think there is anything [overly offensive], but it's the whole situation. I'm a private person, so anything that is in the media when it comes to speculation, I obviously don't love that side of it, but again, I'm a part of it, I have to own my stuff but the extra stuff that pops up here and there, that's the sort of stuff that you can't control and you just have to move on.
โI'm alright with the speculation on where I'm going, but there are things that aren't about that.โ
The veteran is believed to have not made a decision on whether he will play on or not into 2026, with the only certainty being he won't be at the Sea Eagles.
He confirmed he has no timeline on when a decision will be made.
โI know it's going to annoy you, and I'm really sorry about that. I really am. That's the part where I understand speculation is going to continue but I hope you can understand that's why I've given the club time to move on in their direction, and it will give me freedom to do my thing in the background, so that's why it is the way it is, so I can take my time," he said.
Cherry-Evans will play a key role in any potential push for a Manly premiership in his final year with the club, and coach Anthony Seibold said he has his captain's back until he finishes up with the club.
โI think in my time knowing Chez, he is an ultimate professional. There certainly was a lot of noise outside the club, but one of the things I was really proud of the group was how well we prepared. It was going to be a challenging game. Parramatta weren't too far away from knocking the Dogs over and we knew they'd come here somewhere near their best,โ Seibold said.
โI was really proud of the footy program. We were out on the field Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday, and we got on with things. While Chez is at the club I've got his back. He knows that, and I had a conversation with Chez with regards to that.
โI know it makes him uncomfortable with regards to a lot of the questioning, but the best thing we can do is play good footy. If you look at the first month of footy, we have put some great halves together, so I'm not worried about 2026. I'm worried about now, and worried about next week. We will review this, enjoy this tonight and we come up against the Storm here next Sunday. It's business as usual for me. My job is to prepare the team and that's what I've done.โ
The win over Parramatta sees Manly sit second on the table with three wins from four games, holding a better for and against than other teams on six points being the Brisbane Broncos, Melbourne Storm, Gold Coast Titans, New Zealand Warriors, South Sydney Rabbitohs and Newcastle Knights.
The club clash with the Melbourne Storm and Cronulla Sharks in a difficult next fortnight.
