NRL veteran Daly Cherry-Evans has disclosed the reason behind his decision to seek professional assistance after more than 15 years in the competition. At 37, Cherry-Evans is the oldest player in the NRL and boasts an impressive career, including a 2011 premiership with the Manly Sea Eagles, a Clive Churchill Medal in 2013, 26 State of Origin appearances for Queensland, and 21 Test matches for Australia.
Despite his success, a difficult departure from Manly, where he spent 15 seasons, took an emotional toll. Cherry-Evans, known as 'DCE', privately sought answers. 'I felt like, 'Do you know what? I'm gonna go and see someone and start to talk about a few things and see where it goes,'' he told News Corp. 'I just thought it was the right time to go and ask a professional about a few things. I went in there with an open mind and I loved it, and it was great.'
The father of three moved to the Sydney Roosters in the off-season and has formed a strong partnership with halfback Sam Walker. On Saturday afternoon at a sold-out Allianz Stadium, Cherry-Evans will play in his first ANZAC Day fixture for the Roosters, a prospect he would have dismissed in previous years.
He reportedly felt 'disrespected' by a $600,000 offer to stay at Manly and confirmed his departure on Channel Nine's 100% Footy last March. NRL Immortal Andrew Johns criticised the low offer, saying, 'If he went on the open market, he could get $1.3 million, maybe even more. He's very durable and during his career, he's only missed 20 games. It goes to show how professional he is and how smart he is, he keeps himself out of big contact. You don't do that to someone like Daly.'
The veteran playmaker eventually accepted the situation and bonded with his new teammates during a seven-day, 96km Kokoda Trail trek in December, which he described as 'physically and mentally challenging' but rewarding.
For Roosters fans, the team has yet to fully click after seven rounds, but once they do, Cherry-Evans is expected to be a key figure in their pursuit of a first NRL premiership since 2019.
