Look at the high and mighty rubbish Lockyer is trotting out.
Daly Cherry-Evans transfer: NRL round 13 rule doesn’t help but let’s hope DCE keeps his word
THE NRL’s nonsensical Round 13 contract registration rule isn’t helping Daly Cherry-Evans, but now is the time for the Maroons playmaker to help himself. I sincerely hope Daly sticks to his word.
I hope, for the sake of the credibility of an NRL contract and the honourable reputation he has worked hard to cultivate, that Cherry-Evans turns out for the Titans next season.
The decision by Nate Myles to quit the Titans to join Manly from 2016 has sent the merry-go-round of conspiracy theories into overdrive, a inferno of debate fanned by the NRL’s round 13 rule.
Myles and Cherry-Evans were supposed to be the Titans’ leadership core. Now there is talk the Queensland teammates will team up at Manly. Did Myles quit to play with Daly? Will DCE renege on his Titans deal? Was it driven by their wives? Are Nate and Daly colluding? Can Manly find more cash for Daly? Are the managers orchestrating all of this?
So many questions, rumours and innuendo. It is enough to make your head spin. The speculation will continue to rage for another 23 days, when the completion of round 13 will finally allow the NRL to end the circus by rubberstamping Daly’s next contract.
Last month, Cherry-Evans indicated he planned to honour his Titans deal. But that was before the Myles development, and news of his impending arrival at Brookvale adds another layer of complexity to the saga.
Amid the chatter and uncertainty, I hope Daly remembers this: Queensland and Australian hierarchy have big plans for him. Articulate, smart and well-groomed, he is a natural successor to the Origin and Test captaincy, responsibilities that will test Cherry-Evans’ constitution and strength.
When I was handed the Broncos captaincy in 2005, and eventually the Origin and Test jobs, I learnt the sign of a good leader is their strength.
When a leader says he’s going to do something, his word is his bond. He backs up his words with his actions.
This is a great opportunity for Daly. It’s a moment in his career and a moment in a lot of people’s eyes for Daly to stick to his guns and honour his word.
It’s understandable that people of influence at Manly will be trying their hardest in the coming days and weeks to get in his ear; to convince Cherry-Evans to see the signs of promise that lured Myles.
But if Cherry-Evans is his own man, he will push through, stay true to the Titans and end the debate once and for all.
As I got older, leadership taught me the importance of honour and conviction. As a leader, you are not suddenly perfect. But once you go in a direction, you have to back yourself, back the reasons for your decisions, and stick to it.
If he comes into State of Origin camp next week, imagine how many journalists are going to ask if he is having second thoughts and considering backflipping to stay at Manly?
It is a distraction he and the Maroons can do without.
The NRL’s round 13 rule is not doing Daly any favours. Quite simply, it is a ridiculous rule and it doesn’t benefit the individual or the club. Right now, Manly are in a holding pattern. They don’t know whether a guy is coming or going and how much money that leaves for them to spend in the salary cap. There must be a way to make the contract process more streamlined and more transparent for the fans.
Daly has a huge future in Queensland. Next February, he turns 27 and aside from his on-field maturity, he will find himself becoming more involved in off-field corporate engagement at the Titans. I walked a similar path at the Broncos and I really started to embrace opportunities and the balance, skill-set and education it gave me as a person.
Cherry-Evans will be successful wherever he plays, but sticking true to the Titans will demonstrate his strength of character. He just has to say the words.