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NRL 2020: Daly Cherry-Evans now the best halfback, Ken Arthurson
Paul Crawley, The Daily Telegraph
June 5, 2020 4:21pm
Subscriber only
Manly’s legendary godfather Ken Arthurson has handed Daly Cherry-Evans some stunning praise in the countdown to the five-year anniversary of his infamous backflip on Gold Coast.
Ahead of today’s head-to-head showdown with Parramatta’s inform Mitchell Moses, Arthurson declared the often maligned $10 million man had earned the right to be named among Sea Eagles’ greatest No.7s.
And Arko also reckons DCE is also now the NRL’s most influential playmaker.
Manly Sea Eagles godfather Ken Arthurson says Daly Cheery Evans has become the most influential halfback in the NRL. Picture: AAP.
“Toovs (Geoff Toovey) is entitled to be No.1 (on Manly’s all-time halfback list) but Daly is right up there at the top of the tree,” Arthurson said.
Over the decades Manly has had some champion No.7s.
Arthurson himself played in Manly’s first grand final in 1951 and so has seen them all.
Dennis Ward was their first premiership winning halfback in 1972 and played for the Kangaroos.
There was Johnny Mayes, Englishman Gary Stephens, and John Gibbs, Steve Martin and Des Hasler all represented Australia.
Phil Blake a sensation in the 1980s and played in two grand finals.
Toovey was also the Churchill Medallist in 1996 as well as being, pound-for-pound, the toughest of his era. Matt Orford captained them to a premiership and was a Dally M Medal winner.
Cherry-Evans won a comp in his rookie season in 2011, and also took out the Clive Churchill in 2013 in a losing side.
But it’s since Hasler’s return he’s taken his game to the next level.
Arthurson has seen all of Manly’s champion halves and says Daly Cherry Evans is in the top three of all time. Picture: Brett Costello
“You have brought back a lot of memories for me when you started to name those players because you are quite right, all of those blokes were bloody good players,” Arthurson added.
“You do forget how good some of them were in their time.
“But I have got to say, if you are comparing Daly with the others he is right up there with the top halfbacks who has played for the club.
“And I have seen them all, there is not a struck match between quite a few of them.
“Toovs would be the No 1 if you had to pick.
“But all those men were really top players in their own way.”
This match against the Eels is shaping up as a ripper on the back of impressive performances from both teams last weekend.
While so much was made of Tom Trbojevic’s performance against the Bulldogs, Cherry-Evans was also superb.
But this clash against the inform Eels is next level.
These are the sort of games where chief playmakers earn their pay packet.
Daly Cherry-Evans has gone to another level after the return of Des Hasler to Manly. Picture: Getty Images.
It was also two years ago next week that Cherry-Evans was under attack after a woeful performance against the Warriors led to calls for Jake Trbojevic to take over as Manly captain.
At the time Braith Anasta was not on his own — or out of line — when he labelled Cherry-Evans “a great frontrunner” but added “as soon as they get behind (and) they need something, he doesn’t deliver.”
Mick Ennis said: “As the marquee man you have got to deliver in those big moment”.
But that was then, and this is now.
There has been a lot of expectation put on the Eels this year, and especially Moses who is often described as the game’s most naturally gifted halfback.
But DCE is without doubt the new benchmark following the retirement of Cooper Cronk and Johnathan Thurston in recent years.
“I think he does an outstanding job as captain too, and he is growing into the role,” Arthurson said of the now 31-year-old.
“He has matured with age and experience.”
NRL 2020: Daly Cherry-Evans now the best halfback, Ken Arthurson
Paul Crawley, The Daily Telegraph
June 5, 2020 4:21pm
Subscriber only
Manly’s legendary godfather Ken Arthurson has handed Daly Cherry-Evans some stunning praise in the countdown to the five-year anniversary of his infamous backflip on Gold Coast.
Ahead of today’s head-to-head showdown with Parramatta’s inform Mitchell Moses, Arthurson declared the often maligned $10 million man had earned the right to be named among Sea Eagles’ greatest No.7s.
And Arko also reckons DCE is also now the NRL’s most influential playmaker.
Manly Sea Eagles godfather Ken Arthurson says Daly Cheery Evans has become the most influential halfback in the NRL. Picture: AAP.
“Toovs (Geoff Toovey) is entitled to be No.1 (on Manly’s all-time halfback list) but Daly is right up there at the top of the tree,” Arthurson said.
Over the decades Manly has had some champion No.7s.
Arthurson himself played in Manly’s first grand final in 1951 and so has seen them all.
Dennis Ward was their first premiership winning halfback in 1972 and played for the Kangaroos.
There was Johnny Mayes, Englishman Gary Stephens, and John Gibbs, Steve Martin and Des Hasler all represented Australia.
Phil Blake a sensation in the 1980s and played in two grand finals.
Toovey was also the Churchill Medallist in 1996 as well as being, pound-for-pound, the toughest of his era. Matt Orford captained them to a premiership and was a Dally M Medal winner.
Cherry-Evans won a comp in his rookie season in 2011, and also took out the Clive Churchill in 2013 in a losing side.
But it’s since Hasler’s return he’s taken his game to the next level.
“You have brought back a lot of memories for me when you started to name those players because you are quite right, all of those blokes were bloody good players,” Arthurson added.
“You do forget how good some of them were in their time.
“But I have got to say, if you are comparing Daly with the others he is right up there with the top halfbacks who has played for the club.
“And I have seen them all, there is not a struck match between quite a few of them.
“Toovs would be the No 1 if you had to pick.
“But all those men were really top players in their own way.”
This match against the Eels is shaping up as a ripper on the back of impressive performances from both teams last weekend.
While so much was made of Tom Trbojevic’s performance against the Bulldogs, Cherry-Evans was also superb.
But this clash against the inform Eels is next level.
These are the sort of games where chief playmakers earn their pay packet.
It was also two years ago next week that Cherry-Evans was under attack after a woeful performance against the Warriors led to calls for Jake Trbojevic to take over as Manly captain.
At the time Braith Anasta was not on his own — or out of line — when he labelled Cherry-Evans “a great frontrunner” but added “as soon as they get behind (and) they need something, he doesn’t deliver.”
Mick Ennis said: “As the marquee man you have got to deliver in those big moment”.
But that was then, and this is now.
There has been a lot of expectation put on the Eels this year, and especially Moses who is often described as the game’s most naturally gifted halfback.
But DCE is without doubt the new benchmark following the retirement of Cooper Cronk and Johnathan Thurston in recent years.
“I think he does an outstanding job as captain too, and he is growing into the role,” Arthurson said of the now 31-year-old.
“He has matured with age and experience.”
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