Manly Sea Eagles veteran half could hold the future of Isaiya Katoa in his hands as he weighs up his future.
Cherry-Evans, who has been with Manly for more than a decade, last week confirmed he would leave the club at the end of 2025 as his contract comes to an end.
Despite seemingly being a lock to be a one-club player, Cherry-Evans, who is yet to decide if he will play on into 2026, will spend any negotiating time between now and that decision with rival clubs.
His move could have enormous ramifications across the NRL, with a number of clubs including the St George Illawarra Dragons and Dolphins already expressing interest in his services.
The Dolphins, having the advantage of being a Queensland-based club, seem to hold the advantage in the discussions over Cherry-Evans' future, and it could well be that the star winds up finishing his career as part of Kristian Woolf's squad.
Born in Redcliffe, it would make plenty of sense for the veteran halfback to relocate to the north side of Brisbane, but it could also mean the future of Isaiya Katoa becomes more clouded than it already is.
While the Dolphins are keen to retain Katoa, the 23-year-old who made the move from Penrith to the Dolphins ahead of the club's inaugural season and is set to celebrate his 50th NRL game next weekend, has reportedly begun to talk about wanting to move back to Sydney.
Whether he could be swayed by the chance to learn from Cherry-Evans and slot into the five-eighth role for one or two seasons remains to be seen, but The Sydney Morning Herald are reporting he could ask for a release to link up with a Sydney-based club.
The Dolphins will have no obligation to let Katoa leave if they'd prefer not to, given the young gun is contracted for at least the next three seasons - until the end of 2028 - with the club on a deal believed to be worth in the range of $650,000 per season.
But if those noises grow louder, clubs often don't stand in the way of players who want a release on compassionate grounds, and Cherry-Evans would more than replace Katoa, who has been among the Dolphins' best to start the year.
Coach Kristian Woolf has been pleased with Katoa's performance, and labelled him one of the best following the club's first win of the year over the Gold Coast Titans on Saturday evening.
The halfback, who has already played international rugby league, is rated as one of the best young talents in the game, and given the halves market, could garner a substantial pay increase by shifting clubs, something he is unlikely to get at the Dolphins by seeing out his deal over the next three seasons.
“Born in Redcliffe, it would make plenty of sense for the veteran halfback to relocate to the north side of Brisbane”
Maybe. He’s got a wife and kids, and all of them have friends and a support network.
The wife may want to stay in her house in Manly, with the kids in their existing schools.
DCE may end up signing for a Sydney club purely on the grounds of “happy wife, happy life”.