When Daly Cherry-Evans steps onto the field at Broovale Oval on Saturday to become Manly’s most capped player he will do so with a career arch unlike any other.
It hasn’t been smooth sailing for the silky No.7 who will overtake Cliff Lyons’ record of 309 for the Sea Eagles on Saturday.
But despite the consistent controversies, Cherry-Evans is set to make history, surpassing some of rugby league’s greats to stand above the pack.
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His career began in 2011 as a 22-year-old, winning a premiership in his 27th game, besting the Warriors before controversy struck his young career.
And it continued to follow him for seven more years.
The powerhouse Sea Eagles outfit were littered with stars including the Stewart brothers, Jamie Lyon, Steve Matai and Anthony Watmough.
Those elite players had fought hard to keep their core together, with many sacrificing larger salaries to remain at the club, focusing on long-term success.
But Cherry-Evans, having been paid only $85,000 as a premiership-winning halfback, reportedly demanded a hefty salary increase to stay at Brookvale.
He was handed a new contract and the Sea Eagles continued to be an elite team, featuring in three more finals series and going down to the Roosters in the 2013 grand final.
Then two seasons later, the biggest shock of his career arrived.
In 2015, he stunned the rugby league world by signing a bumper four-year deal to join the Titans. But there was a catch — NRL rules stated his contract wasn’t official until June 30.
That gave Sea Eagles powerbrokers months to entice him to remain at the club, eventually getting their way when he signed a eight-year deal, snubbing the Titans.
NRL powerbrokers were also forced to make sweeping changes to the contract system, introducing the 10-day cooling off system which has since been scrapped.
The Gold Coast Bulletin weighed in on the drama, publishing a back page spread that labelled him a ‘filthy cockroad’. A sledge made all the more damaging due to the fact it was splashed across a Queensland-based paper.
“Remember that back page of the bulletin, they called him a ‘filthy cockroach’ because he had backflipped… who would have thought a Queensland paper would say that about one of their own,” Dean Ritchie said on NRL360 this week.
“He’s developed into a real leader over the years, if you go back there was a period where Daly Cherry-Evans was public enemy No.1 in rugby league,” Fox League’s James Hooper said.
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“When he backflipped on the Gold Coast Titans he was booed by his own fans, there was a time where Queensland were making rumblings about not liking his personality.
“To overcome all that adversity and persevere and achieve what he has… it’s been an epic comeback.”
“He’s come a long way from that article, and the perception of his has changed over the years,” Braith Anasta said.
The next blip on his career came in the Origin arena, playing six games between 2013 and 2015 before he was cast out into the Queensland wilderness, being informed he was ‘no longer needed’.
Rumblings emerged he was disliked within the Maroons squad, and his backflip on the Titans reportedly angered many across ths Sunshine State.
Queensland selectors’ decision to draft Ben Hunt in to replace an injured Johnathan Thurston for the 2017 series decider only fuelled speculation he was being frozen out.
But the gun halfback kept on delivering for the Sea Eagles and faced a three-year exodus from the Queensland side before he was finally recalled for Game III of the 2018 series.
Since then he’s been an ever-present force for the Maroons, leading Queensland to three series wins between 2019 and 2023 and will be handed the No.7 jersey for as long as he wants it, even though thoughts of Origin retirement have came across his mind.
“As I get older the thought of retirement definitely starts to float through your head, but then I go in to camp and I get around the boys and I play,” Cherry-Evans said to foxsports.com.au after Game II last year.
“I just love it so much, I just don’t know if I can let it go just yet. But I don’t want to hang on too long.”
Since his Origin exile ended, the public perception of Cherry-Evans has shifted and Hooper believes his true colours have shone through.
“What he went through when that Manly side were split up, he won a premiership in his first year, then players like Glenn Stewart were forced out of the club,” Hooper said.
“He endured some brutal front and back page headlines over the years… out of all of that and the adversity, I think it galvanised him.
“I used to think he was a politician and a charade-player in front of cameras, but I actually think that’s who he is. He’s a family man… I think he likes a beer at the appropriate time.
“But I think you’d describe him as more of a square sort of man.”
Cherry-Evans’ comments after clinching yet another Origin series win in 2023 surmises his mindset now, only ever thinking about what’s best for the team and happy to stand down if it’s what Queensland needs.
“There’s always a lot to think about when you get a bit older but for as long as I am the right man for the job, I’ll keep playing for Queensland,” he said.
“When the time comes and I need to step aside, I’ll be extremely proud of what I’ve been able to achieve in this side. I’m a very proud Queenslander, a very proud captain of Queensland.”
And on Saturday, Cherry-Evans has a chance to have his named etched further into Sea Eagles folklore, potentially positioning himself as Manly’s best ever.
When he runs out for his 310th game, he overtakes not only Lyons, but also Steve Menzies (280), Anthony Watmough (278), Alan Thompson (263) and Des Hasler (256) to name a few.
Speaking to media on Wednesday, Cherry-Evans himself reflected on the “ups and downs” of his career, and also highlighted the influence of those who came before him on his career.
“It’s a very surreal feeling, passing a legend of the club, something that’s obviously held in high regard,” Cherry-Evans said.
“I certainly didn’t set out to beat a record like this, but I guess along the way you just want to keep playing because you love it, but the competitive side of you obviously thinks about these things.
“All careers have their ups and downs. I’ve learnt a lot, loved every bit of it, and it’s a really proud moment for me and the family.”
“He’s (Lyons) the sort of bloke that’s even at times egged me on and just said, ‘Go on mate, go and pass it’.
“He sees that the records are there to be broken, so he’s been really supportive of me throughout my career.”
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At 35-years of age, Cherry-Evans is showing no signs of slowing down, with Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga revealing he thought he’d “had his best year” in 2023.
But could he played 400 games? Only one player has achieved the feat in Cameron Smith, who many argue is the best to ever grace the NRL.
“I reckon he will go past 400, he is playing better than ever, he just doesn’t get injured,” Matty Johns said.
“When he played he got a great education off the Stewart brothers and some of the players he’s played with over the time,” Gorden Tallis said.
“I think he’s just starting to hit his straps… who would have thought? Good luck to DCE, what a record.”
As it stands, Cherry-Evans is contracted until the end of 2025 season, meaning he could beat out Steve ‘Beaver’ Menzies’ record for most games as an ‘Eagle’, sitting 40 behind the club hero.
He played, 69 games for the Northern Eagles, a merger club that played across three seasons before once again playing for the Sea Eagles.
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