‘Hero or villain’: Debate rages over timing of DCE’s contract call as QLD skipper ‘owes’ Slater, Manly

Queensland and Manly skipper Daly Cherry-Evans has been criticised for breaking his silence on his potential next club on the first day of State of Origin camp amid his ongoing contract saga.

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After staying silent on where or if he will play on in 2026 for two months since his bombshell decision to leave Manly, Cherry-Evans chose an interesting time to reveal the two clubs he is in talks with.

“DCE confirmed he has spoken to not only the Roosters, but the Dolphins as well,” Braith Anasta said on NRL 360.

“The first time he’s spoken about this on the first day of camp for Queensland.”

Paul Crawley noted the poor timing from Cherry-Evans, which has never been his strong suit.

“It’s interesting, isn’t it, to bring that up on the first day in Origin Camp?” Crawley said.

The Daily Telegraph’s Dean Ritchie has called on Cherry-Evans to bite the bullet and make a call on his future.

“This is what’s going to happen until he makes his decision,” Ritchie said.

“Why are we waiting? Every time he goes to a press conference, whether it be post-game at Brookvale or after every Manly game or in every press conference in Queensland, he’s going to be asked the same question. Why are we waiting? I don’t understand.”

Anasta questioned the timing of Cherry-Evans and the potential for it to distract him from the job of winning Queensland back the shield.

Daly Cherry-Evans is under pressure amid his future talks. Source: FOX SPORTS

“Why didn’t he just go into a camp and say, I’m here for Origin, I’m just going to focus on Origin?” Anasta asked sparking debate.

Ritchie noted Cherry-Evans has always marched to the beat of his own drum.

“That’s Daly, he is an intelligent bloke and Daly is a bloke that won’t shy away from the questions to his credit, but he also, I think, enjoys a little bit of theatre,” Ritchie said.

“But he has for two months, hasn’t anyone asked him this question the last two months?” Anasta said.

“But he’s only answered it today.”

“He’s been asked after every game, but this is the first time he’s mentioned the Roosters as a name,” Ritchie said.

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“He did a press conference on TV we know that, but he hasn’t spoken about clubs, options or anything until today,” Anasta said.

“I’m not saying he’s done the wrong thing. It’s just caught me a bit off guard. Why can’t he just announce where he’s going? I don’t understand what the delay is.”

Crawley believes it is in the best interest of Cherry-Evans and the club he is going to if they make the call as soon as possible.

“I don’t understand it from both sides, like if a deal’s done like everyone assumes it is done, why would you put it off?” Crawley said.

“I actually think it only adds to the pressure on Daly leading into this series because of everything that’s been happening at Manly.

“And Manly before last week’s hit back against the Cowboys, they were going pretty ordinary and Daly was going very ordinary.

“And now he goes into this series. They lost last year’s series. He’s the skipper. It can go two ways for Daly in this series, he is the hero or he is the villain.

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“And if he doesn’t aim up and have a good series then the questions start at the Roosters, well why are we buying a 37-year-old halfback when we have got these great young kids?”

Ritchie believes Cherry-Evans’ initial intentions in delaying his decision announcement have been misguided.

“I think Daly is mistaken if his theory is that he is not announcing it to not disrespect or disrupt his time at Manly because it is disruptive,” Ritchie said.

“That’s why I don’t think what he is doing is working. If he is thinking it is just going to go away by him not saying anything, it hasn’t worked.”

Crawley also believes Cherry-Evans is lucky to have made the Queensland team and needs to repay Billy Slater.

“I think he needs to repay Billy Slater’s faith in him,” Crawley said.

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“I don’t think he had the greatest series last year. I didn’t think his form prior to last week was good. If you were picking the team on form Tom Dearden is the No.7.

“Billy has stuck solid with him but he has to go out and repay the coach.”

However, Ritchie believes Cherry-Evans could make a call after the Origin series.

“There is a bit of mail around that it might be in the next couple of weeks or potentially after State of Origin,” Ritchie said.

But Crawley think Cherry-Evans should have done better by Manly, a club that has set him and his family up for life.

“I think he owes it to his club and the fans at that club,” Crawley said.

“He was never going to pull out of this series, but at 36 I don’t know how he goes back from a gruelling Origin series and plays better football at the back end, but that’s what he is going to have to do.”

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