An NRL legend believes Manly halfback Daly Cherry-Evans may quit representative football this season to focus on a title tilt with the Sea Eagles amid the club’s hot start to 2025.
The Sea Eagles were arguably the most impressive team in Round 1 in a 42-12 rout of the Cowboys, with that scoreline even flattering North Queensland.
The performance rocketed the Sea Eagles into premiership contention, with big guns Cherry-Evans, Tom Trbojevic, Jake Trbojevic and Haumole Olakau’atu all firing.
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Cherry-Evans, the incumbent Queensland No. 7, hasn’t made a decision on if he’ll be available for Maroons selection this year, but former Queensland halfback Cooper Cronk says given Manly’s tremendous start and premiership claims, ‘DCE’ could try and focus all of his energy on club success.
“Looking at their game, I’m going to go out on a bit of a limb here. They have five of their first seven games at home,” Cronk said on Matty & Cronk.
“They are lightning quick at home … They could be on top of the ladder after eight weeks.
“Cherry-Evans hasn’t decided what he’s going to do for Origin and rep football. He’s just turned 36, I think he’s going to see himself in six to eight weeks time and go ‘you know what, this is my best chance of winning (another) NRL comp’.
“He might just pull the trigger on rep footy and go, ‘I’m in the slipstream here. I have Turbo out the back, Luke Brooks is energetic and my forward pack is going well’.
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“A lot of things have to fall into place. I’m not saying they’re going to win it but I’m just saying that this might force him into thinking.
“He played in his last grand final in 2013. There have been a couple of prelims since but he’s never really got close in the last ten years so this is his go. He might just pull the pin and focus on it.
“Because at 36 as a halfback, playing for 30 weeks plus Origin, the fuel tank will get low … He’s still playing very good football.”
“He’s been unbelievable,” Matty Johns added.
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