Daly Cherry-Evans remained tight-lipped on his contract situation with Manly, after being pressed on the bombshell news that he’ll leave the Sea Eagles at the end of the 2025 season.
The veteran halfback revealed the news in a bombshell interview on 100% Footy on Monday. He was subsequently approached by a Channel 7 reporter on Tuesday, who asked if he was going to leave the club or would change his mind on the decision.
He replied: ‘I’m just gonna go home, that’s what I’m doing today, but thank you very much.’
Manly, though, are optimistic that they can get him to reconsider the decision, which he claims to have been ‘sleeping on since December.’
The Sea Eagles are reportedly not giving up hope on coaxing their captain into a stunning U-turn after he said he was not going to accept a two-year $1.4million offer from the club.
On Tuesday, Manly sensationally tabled a counter-offer for the veteran halfback live on television, with Briath Anasta revealing on NRL 360 that the club were making a new approach.
Daly Cherry-Evans announced that he could leave Manly at the end of the 2025 season
Manly are hopeful that they can coax the Sea Eagles captain to make a U-turn on his claim
But a day after The Sydney Morning Herald broke the news, chief executive Tony Mestrov has confirmed the club are ‘putting their best foot forward’ to keep their longest-serving player.
He also addressed speculation over the club’s decision to table a new offer to Cherry-Evans live on NRL 360, stating that the move was not about preserving their own respect but that the club wanted to show fans that they were being ‘proactive’ to retain their best talents.
‘We’ve put our best foot forward. We put [the two-year offer] in writing this morning, and we’ll wait for an answer,’ Mestrov said during a press conference on Tuesday.
‘We’re all good with it. I think it’s a shock to the broader world he might not be at Manly, but it’s not to us. The discussions have been ongoing, and he’s been upfront about it. If Daly does play in the NRL, we want him to play with Manly.’
It is understood that the club and Cherry-Evans, who made his debut back in 2011, had been in talks over his future since December 2024.
The Queensland-born footy star had told the club that he was either going to retire or go overseas.
Daily Mail Australia understands that the Roosters and the Titans are set to go head-to-head to sign the star halfback, who has made 332 NRL appearances for the Sea Eagles.
But despite the lure of other clubs around the league, Mestrov was optimistic that the footy star could double back on his comments.
Cherry-Evans (pictured at the Dally M Awards in 2024 with long-term partner Vessa) has made 332 appearances for the club after joining in 2011
Evans had claimed that he could go on to play footy abroad or retire. The club added that they had not intended on disrespecting the NRL star or had attempted to lowball him
‘Never say never,’ the Manly boss said. ‘I don’t think Daly has made a decision himself. Let’s hope he reconsiders.’
Speaking on the halfback’s revelations on live television, Mestrov said: ‘Daly obviously felt like he had to come out [on Monday night] with the press around it.
‘There’s no animosity between Daly and the club. I spoke with him before ‘I came to this press conference. There’s no problem with Daly and the club, no problem with Daly and me, and no problem with Daly and the coach [Anthony Seibold].
‘Daly has told a few teammates it will be his last year this year, and it’s up to Daly to quantify that at whatever point he wants to – the ball is in his court.’
Mestrov has denied that their initial deal was ‘disrespectful’ or a ‘lowball’ for Cherry-Evans.
‘We haven’t lowballed him because it’s just been a discussion.
‘The first formal offer was this morning. During the ongoing discussion, there was no lowballing at all – there’s no such thing as a lowball figure.
‘We wouldn’t do that to disrespect Daly. It wouldn’t be on. We’re not about that. The club respects the past, and respects what he has done at the club.’
Cherry-Evans revealed on 100% Footy that the club had not given him an offer prior to going on the show and also denied that the club had lowballed him.
Manly are next in action at Brookvale Oval on Sunday as they take on Parramatta.
