When Daly Cherry-Evans runs out at 4 Pines Park on Thursday, 26 March, he will face the most demanding homecoming of his career. Almost exactly one year after announcing his departure, the 37-year-old will confront the club he served for 15 seasons. He played 352 games in the maroon and white of Manly, a record for the Sea Eagles that may never be broken.
The Roosters' recruitment of Cherry-Evans signals a shift in philosophy for the tricolours. Trent Robinson has made no secret of the fact that this is Sam Walker's team, and as a result Cherry-Evans will be playing five-eighth for the first time in his career. It is an uncomfortable arrangement for a player who has dominated the number seven jersey his entire professional life, yet Cherry-Evans has accepted the challenge with pragmatism. "Sam or I could wear No.6 or No.7 and it wouldn't change a whole lot," he said. "Visually it might be a big deal if I'm not wearing No.7 but I'd be fine with wearing 6 if that's what we need to do."
He leaves the Northern Beaches as one of the club's most decorated players, holding records for most games and most captaincies in Sea Eagles history. No halfback has scored as many tries or kicked as many field goals in NRL history. Those accolades mean little on the scoreboard at Brookvale; what matters now is whether he can deliver wins for his new employer.
The narrative surrounding his departure has softened since March 2025, when he announced on live television that he would not be continuing at Manly. Plenty of critics were keen to blame the failed campaign on the upheaval caused by Cherry-Evans' announcement in March that he wouldn't be at the club in 2026 but the champion playmaker is adamant rumours of unrest were off the mark. The Sea Eagles finished in tenth place, a collapse many attributed to the distraction of his exit. Cherry-Evans disputes that characterisation. "The Panthers won the last four competitions in a row prior to this year and each year they had big-name players leave the club but it wasn't a distraction for them because they were winning," he said. "But because we didn't win it became a distraction - that was the narrative that was pushed to fit the story and I believe people just got it wrong on that one."
The Roosters have built their 2026 campaign around the template that worked when Cooper Cronk joined the Roosters after 323 games at the Storm and led the Tricolours to a title in his first season. Cherry-Evans will be expected to replicate that success, though age and the unconventional halves arrangement add layers of complexity.
What reception awaits him at Brookvale remains uncertain. Cherry-Evans is tipped to receive a warm reception from the Sea Eagles faithful after an incredible career that began with his debut in 2011, culminating in a premiership that same year. Come Thursday March 26 and DCE will square off against those lifelong Manly mates at 4 Pines Park with only one thing on his mind - victory. "When you play against your mates you just want to beat them, that's all you're thinking about," he said. "I'm sure it will be a great experience for everyone - playing against my good friends at a place I have so many memories of."
The early season form of both clubs heading into Round 4 will shape the significance of this encounter. Cherry-Evans is expected to play his first game for the Tricolours against the Warriors in Round 1, giving him three matches to integrate with his teammates before this test. Those weeks will be crucial. Everything else, for now, is anticipation.