So maybe nice guys don’t always finish last in the rough and tumble world of rugby league after all.
Once the most polarising player in rugby league, Manly captain Daly Cherry-Evans becomes the most-capped Sea Eagles player of all time this weekend.
To say Cherry-Evans has ridden every ride in the amusement park of the NRL and public perception would be an understatement.
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Where does Luai fit in with the Tigers? | 00:35
From the back-flip on the Gold Coast Titans to getting booed by his home fans in Queensland to being branded a mercenary at Manly who split up a premiership-winning side, DCE has worn plenty of hand grenades in terms of back and front pages.
At one point there was even a period where the champion halfback was left out of the Queensland State of Origin side because he was bit of a different cat and it didn’t suit the Maroons inner circle.
All of that has since been tipped on its head as DCE has developed into one of the NRL’s most respected figures, playing 22 games for Queensland and captaining the Maroons to three series victories.
So who is the real DCE? There was a period where plenty of people had the Manly halfback pegged as a politician in front of the cameras who was primarily playing charades.
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It’s only taken 14 seasons playing halfback for the Sea Eagles but there’s no silly games or silly prizes, DCE is just the consummate professional who doesn’t like to give too much away.
At 35 he looks like he could still play for at least another three seasons.
What DCE has done is take all the hard lessons out of his early career and develop into one of the best leaders in the NRL.
Talk to anyone at Manly and they’ll tell you how he’s always the ultimate competitor, got time for everyone no matter how long you’ve been at the club and often takes some of the younger blokes in the team for a cup of coffee.
Away from the game he’s a family man who lives a quiet life.
Don’t be fooled – he’s not a complete square. He still likes a beer and a laugh on Mad Monday’s.
But he’s smart about his choices.
The list of names DCE will surpass against three-time premiers Penrith is something to behold; Cliff Lyons (309 games), Steve Menzies (280), Anthony Watmough (278), Alan Thompson (263), Des Hasler (256), Fred Jones (241), Geoff Toovey (238), Graham Eadie (237), Brett Stewart (233) and Steve Matai (230).
To be fair Beaver Menzies lost three seasons to the ill-fated Northern Eagles.
For DCE to survive 14 seasons at the Sea Eagles – a club where politics has been a hornets nest over the years – says a lot about the player and the leader he’s become.
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Annesley dissects bunker call on Chooks | 03:15
TIGERS’ MASTER PLAN REVEALED
The Wests Tigers and defensive resolve has never been a phrase overly used in the course of the club’s 25-year history.
Yet over the past fortnight it’s been the Wests Tigers defence that’s been the most impressive element of back-to-back wins over Cronulla and Parramatta.
Against the Eels on Easter Monday the Wests Tigers were forced to repel repeated waves of the Eels being camped on their tryline.
Not only were they stoic but they also forced the Eels into making errors.
The Tigers released the strategic plan chief executive Shane Richardson has been working on for the past three months on Wednesday with a focus on becoming the no.1 development club in Sydney.
Of course they’re shooting for the stars given what a juggernaut three-time premiers Penrith are in this area but they’ve got to start somewhere.
The other focus is continuing to develop in the south-western Sydney corridor the club also calls home with retired players John Skandalis and Shannon Gallant heading up a new Wests Tigers office in Campbelltown.
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WALSH FIRMING FOR BATTLE OF BRISBANE
The sight of Brisbane superstar Reece Walsh back in full flight at training suggests the gun No.1 is aiming to return for the round six Battle of Brisbane against the Dolphins.
If Walsh can make it back complete with his Robocop-style headgear for round six then the Broncos will only be without the star player for two NRL matches.
Before they’ve got to worry about Walsh the Dolphins will first face Wests Tigers where supercoach Wayne Bennett will be pitted against one of his protégé’s in Wests Tigers coach Benji Marshall.
Bennett and Benji have an extremely tight bond from winning the 2008 World Cup with New Zealand together to the time they spent at the Brisbane Broncos and also South Sydney.
As Benji pointed out at the Wests Tigers press conference after beating the Parramatta Eels – they won’t be talking on the phone this week.
While Wayne has coached 917 first grade and NRL games and has seven-premierships to show for it Marshall is suiting up for his fourth game as an NRL head coach.
It makes for a fascinating sub-plot to the Dolphins hosting the Wests Tigers on Super Saturday.
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EELS’ BROTHER CONNECTION SPARKED PEARCE TALKS
The Parramatta Eels making an inquiry about whether Mitchell Pearce was any chance of making a comeback this season was an intriguing play.
And in typical rugby league fashion it involved six degrees of separation.
The mystery third-party who telephoned Pearce was Stephen Moses – the brother of the Eels star halfback Mitchell Moses who is out for up to 12 weeks with a broken foot.
Pearce is happily living life back in Sydney but has since confirmed he’s hung the boots up for good and is no chance of making a comeback.
The Eels look like they were jumping at shadows about the yarn getting out given they’ve got young gun local juniors Blaize Talagi and Ethan Sanders in the club’s top 30.
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