In a significant development for rugby league, Manly Sea Eagles icon Daly Cherry-Evans has been officially presented as a Sydney Roosters player, marking the end of his legendary tenure at Manly after 252 appearances.
Historic Club Switch Finalised
The 36-year-old marquee player put pen to paper with the Eastern Suburbs club less than a fortnight ago, concluding months of intense speculation about his potential move to Bondi. This follows his initial announcement back in March that he would depart the Sea Eagles at the conclusion of the 2025 season.
Cherry-Evans made his first public appearance in the famous red, white and blue colours alongside Roosters captain James Tedesco during a media event on Thursday, creating substantial buzz throughout the rugby league community.
New Era with Adidas Kit Launch
The unveiling coincided with the Roosters revealing their home jersey for the 2026 NRL season, which represents a landmark moment as the first NRL kit designed by global sportswear giant Adidas. The new design features navy blue shorts instead of the traditional white, creating alignment with the NRLW side's attire.
Social media channels erupted with positive responses to the kit reveal, with the club and Adidas Australia posting 'Tri-colours. Three Stripes' on Instagram. One enthusiast commented: 'Great, now I can't concentrate at work for the rest of the Thursday', while a Parramatta Eels supporter conceded: 'I'm a Parra fan but that's the jersey of 2026 right there'.
Fixture Drama and Club Loyalty
Cherry-Evans won't face a lengthy wait to confront his former club, with the Tricolours scheduled to meet the Sea Eagles in round four of the upcoming season. His departure from Manly has proven difficult for supporters who have followed his entire career.
In additional significant news for the club, captain James Tedesco has committed his future to the Roosters by signing a two-year contract extension that will keep him at the club until the end of 2027. The dual premiership winner, who claimed the Dally M Medal after an outstanding 2025 season, will have played at least ten seasons under coach Trent Robinson by the conclusion of his new deal.
The Roosters will commence their 2026 campaign against the Warriors at Go Media Stadium, while Manly faces Canberra at Brookvale Oval. Cherry-Evans and Tedesco, who previously played together for Australia in the 2023 Pacific Championships, now aim to bring the NRL premiership back to Bondi for the first time in six years.
