The Daly Cherrygraph

[Disco]

For all the spin and blame game its seems pretty obvious to me.

He has agreed to a big 2 year deal elsewhere (most likely Roosters or Dogs) with any extra trimmings that come along with.

 

[Hertera]

Plus Manu is back in a couple of months…

Nope staying in union

 

[Harmless27]

I am now even more glad they graduated Guac to the leadership group and further diversified away from DCE

DCE should retire at years end... otherwise I would bet a lot of hard earned $$$ that Guac runs at him a million times when we play the roo$ters or whoever he (DCE) decides to go to

 

[AndWeDon'tCare]

Anasta says he rang around a few powerful figures at various clubs today, and last year Manly hierarchy were shopping DCE around and suggesting they wouldn’t be re signing him

Braith Anasta... I must commend the "powerful figures" he spoke with because I'm sure they wouldn't spin a story to Narcissus so he could gleefully regale said "comments" on his show.

They'd never do that to a TV host, player manager and someone that they all good in high esteem in the game.

Never 🙄

And Kiwi Eagle, this isn't a shot at you, but at the man who loves his own reflection on the teleprompter so much, he gets confused reading the words on the screen...

If only P.T Barnum were alive today, he'd have a new clown for his circus.

 

[frank stokes]

Braith Anasta... I must commend the "powerful figures" he spoke with because I'm sure they wouldn't spin a story to Narcissus so he could gleefully regale said "comments" on his show.

They'd never do that to a TV host, player manager and someone that they all good in high esteem in the game.

Never 🙄

And Kiwi Eagle, this isn't a shot at you, but at the man who loves his own reflection on the teleprompter so much, he gets confused reading the words on the screen...

If only P.T Barnum were alive today, he'd have a new clown for his circus.

It is interesting though because Anastasia seemed to be on the clubs side (as I would expect as the club went through them last night with their offer) but even he questioned the shopping him around and the effect that may have had on the relationship… the other journos were all placing blame with the club…

Chez has not come out of this smelling like roses but from my conversations with people today it is clear that most impartials (certainly all the ones I talk to anyways) feel the club screwed this up…

 

[Kalvin]

This just popped up on my feed... aged well

 

[God]

Unpopular opinion but on his day playing his natural game, not the game we have him playing Luke Brooks is a more talented ball playing half than DCE. Did he cope well at the tigers under the pressure behind a badly beaten pack of forwards... no but he can play and if we boosted our forwards and gave Jake Auther a shot at 5/8 (or lock is Turbo plays 6) we'll be fine especially if we strengthen our forwards. We could still be competitive, be interesting to see who of the talented Aussie half's is killing it in the super league and if we could lure one of them across.

 

[frank stokes]

Nope staying in union

Yep another year at least 🤔

 

[mickqld]

This just popped up on my feed... aged well

Hahaha the Manly mismanagement and the DCE bullsh*t circus just continues to roll on 10 years on.

 

[EaglesDontTweet]

Based on NRL 360...​

‘They’re filthy’: Manly left seething over Daly Cherry-Evans blindside​

There is growing speculation that Manly have been left irate in the wake of Daly Cherry-Evans’ bombshell decision to walk away.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/theyre-filthy-manly-left-seething-over-daly-cherryevans-blindside/news-story/eaab8d907cab5818475585e414e52180

 

[Kalvin]

Hahaha the Manly mismanagement and the DCE bullsh*t circus just continues to roll on 10 years on.

It was almost like dejavu really (the circus part that is)

 

[AndWeDon'tCare]

It is interesting though because Anastasia seemed to be on the clubs side (as I would expect as the club went through them last night with their offer) but even he questioned the shopping him around and the effect that may have had on the relationship… the other journos were all placing blame with the club…

Chez has not come out of this smelling like roses but from my conversations with people today it is clear that most impartials (certainly all the ones I talk to anyways) feel the club screwed this up…

It's fairly easy to blame the Club and my posts last night weren't defending the Club nor were they "attacking" DCE, both parties, are in my considered opinion, at fault.

What grinds my gears is the carefully constructed narrative being perpetuated across the media mainly by those pro-DCE that the Club didn't respect him by offering him an offer, or that the Club insulted him by making him a "low-ball" offer.

The Club was told of a certain position by DCE and his agency and as late as pre-Christmas 2024 BOTH parties accepted that position.

In late January 2025 his agency and the football manager began discussions about the "possibility" of DCE continuing on however, and DCE had said this himself, he didn't wish to entertain staying at Manly as at the end of December 2024, he had made his mind up.

The Club was foolish enough and silly enough to believe that and are now paying the price for thinking that no-one else would come to the table.

Then again, perhaps the Club believed what they were told earlier in the negotiations about "where DCE was at in terms of playing on".

A question that has been running through my mind [is], why would the Club shop him around for the remaining year of his contract (2025) well before 1 November 2024 if the Club knew they weren't going to re-sign him before that date yet both parties have confirmed that "discussions" commenced at the end of the 2024 season?

If this was the case, we'd have heard about DCE being shopped around OR perhaps he was shopped around last year (as Braith Anasta leads us to believe) and at that time, there weren't too many suitors.

This entire saga has all the hallmarks for an episode of the Twilight zone.

 

[Ranga]

So he feels disrespected that the club didn’t make him a formal offer. At the same time, he apparently couldn’t commit to playing on as he was considering retirement. I take it the club was expecting him to let them know once he made his mind up about going around again before they got into negotiations proper. Sounds reasonable to me.

Really what he was wanting from manly was optionality that he would shop to his own advantage.

I’ve been a huge fan of his for a long time and am sad to see him go. At the same time, time to move on and if he goes somewhere else at $1m a year for 2 years, that will have a ripple effect in the player market that might mean a very good player comes our way.

 

[47MVEagle]

If, as suggested by NRL360, DCE felt slighted by the club not making him an offer after he told them he might retire or go O/S after 2025, then he’s being a bit precious.

If it does turn out he’s signed a big contract with another NRL club, it will look to me like that’s what he wanted all along & never gave the club the chance to compete & is trying to use the “no offer” as a lame excuse for feeling disrespected & taken for granted.

 

[AndWeDon'tCare]

Based on NRL 360...​

‘They’re filthy’: Manly left seething over Daly Cherry-Evans blindside​

There is growing speculation that Manly have been left irate in the wake of Daly Cherry-Evans’ bombshell decision to walk away.

https://www.news.com.au/sport/nrl/theyre-filthy-manly-left-seething-over-daly-cherryevans-blindside/news-story/eaab8d907cab5818475585e414e52180

And this is the Fox/NewsCorp side of the story.

Each major news organisation is picking one side and DCE has NEC in his corner and the Club is utilising Fox/NewsCorp in the corner.

Interesting commentary of note in the article is now we are hearing of the "informal dialogue" between both parties and most notably the "1+1 year deal" I alluded to last night.

Slowly but surely the puzzle will come together and neither party will come out of this looking good but I know who I'm inclined to believe just that little bit more as the days go by.

 

[Rackets]

I've tried to stay quiet on this because I think it's quite embarrassing how it's all played out. Maybe the club is at fault for not putting out an offer to DCE, maybe they're not. Maybe DCE deserved better, maybe he didn't. Either way, for a captain of the club, the leader, the one that players follow and kids aspire to, going on national TV, blindsiding your employer and saying that you are done with the club that's been your everything for the last 15yrs seems a low and selfish act. Everyone has issues with someone or something, but do it with dignity, with your boss and coach , in your club colours and tell your fans you've enjoyed every moment of playing for this great club, but now it's time to move on. Be grateful and happy with everything you have achieved at Manly and thank the club, fans and sponsors, rather than being a showpony.

 

[EaglesDontTweet]

What stood out to me on NRL 360 was when Dean Ritchie said his understanding was the club and DCE had until Round 6 to finalise their position and DCE went early.

 

[Uk eagle]

Unpopular opinion but on his day playing his natural game, not the game we have him playing Luke Brooks is a more talented ball playing half than DCE. Did he cope well at the tigers under the pressure behind a badly beaten pack of forwards... no but he can play and if we boosted our forwards and gave Jake Auther a shot at 5/8 (or lock is Turbo plays 6) we'll be fine especially if we strengthen our forwards. We could still be competitive, be interesting to see who of the talented Aussie half's is killing it in the super league and if we could lure one of them across.

Halves with NRL experience playing in super league: Luke Keary, Adam Clune, Aidan Sezer, Cade Cust, Brodie Croft, Matt Frawley, Lachlan Lam, Jayden Nikorima and George Williams. Bevan French has been playing 5/8 for Wigan and is the closest you can get to "killing it" from the list

 

[Tragic Eagle]

DCE has lost my respect. It is as clear as day what has happened here. He has been offered big bucks elsewhere and had to let his suitor know he was serious and that he wouldn’t backflip so he got on the box and announced it publically without informing Manly and threw the club under a bus. The manly hating journos will always take a swipe at the club but I believe Mestrov. DCE is entitled to chase a big final pay day but the club didn’t deserve to be treated like that. Very poor form. A nice thank you to a club that has paid him handsomely for many years.

 

[Chunky]

So, here's my 2c worth on the issue.

Why announce it now, after 3 rounds and a good win, when it looks like we are building nicely (even though we haven't played any "contenders" yet)? If the decision was made back in December, why not announce it then?

How and why do you announce it on a TV show before you have told the rest of the squad about it - you know, your teammates, the ones that put in on the field next to you each and every week.

It's blatantly obvious that he either has or is going to sign with another club. I'm different from a lot of people in that I don't think it's the Roosters. I think it's the Dogs. If it's about money, why leave? I wouldn't think any offer we make is massively significantly different to those from other clubs that aren't desperate. I think he wants another premiership. Dogs are way closer than the Roosters.

As for this season - my personal interest in it and following this team this year is gone. I can't watch a team featuring a player that simply has no interest in being at this club that I love. If he was retiring. or announced he had signed elsewhere, then OK. But his comments about how he's not sure but whatever he does it won't be at Manly - I can't support someone like that. And it sucks that this guy holds the record for most games at our club, and not a true legend like Beaver.