SUNSHINE Coast Sea Eagles halfback Daly Cherry-Evans will spend the rest of the Queensland Cup season preparing for his promotion to the Manly NRL squad next year.



 


Daly Cherry-Evans has responded well to be being handed
the captaincy of the Sunshine Coast Sea Eagles.
The 21-year-old Mackay product revealed yesterday he had agreed to terms on a three-year deal with the silvertails, but was yet to put pen to paper.


Cherry-Evans will likely be Manly’s No.1-choice halfback in 2011, Trent Hodkinson having signed a three-year, $800,000 contract with Canterbury.
After being given indications by Des Hasler he would get first crack at the halfback spot next year, Cherry-Evans said he was ecstatic with the confidence shown in him by the Manly Sea Eagles coach.
“There’s a bit of stability in my life now so I’m very happy with it,” he said. “I’d like to think that I’m next in line (for the Manly halfback spot). If they go elsewhere for anyone else I’ll be disappointed in the club.”
Cherry-Evans will be hoping to follow in the footsteps of Hodkinson, who last year led the Sunshine Coast to the Queensland Cup premiership and then made a mercurial NRL debut this season.
Cherry-Evans, who was yesterday named alongside fellow Sea Eagle Jamie Buhrer in the Queensland Country side, said he was sad to see Hodkinson leave the club, the City representative having taken him under his wing in recent months.
The wiry playmaker said he had noticed his game coming along in leaps and bounds ever since he was handed the Sunshine Coast captaincy by coach Brandon Costin earlier in the season.
“I’ve learned to be more patient, a patient way of playing the game,” he said. “I think I’ve got to thank Costo a lot for that.”