Manly Sea Eagles fans rejoice: you won't have to worry about having to blood a new halfback any time soon, because Daly Cherry-Evans is set to extend his contract with the club by two years through to the end of the 2025 season.
With the Dolphins circling almost every player in the competition, there were fears the Manly captain might return to his home state, and the club where he played his junior football.
Without a CEO after the mystery resignation of Stephen Humphries, the Sea Eagles will need time to confirm the contract on their end, according to reports in The Sydney Morning Herald.
Extending the eight-year $10 Million deal that kept him in Manly, the extension will pay less than the seven figures Cherry-Evans has grown accustomed to.
Sea Eagles owner Scott Penn spoke to The Herald on Monday.
“We’ve had positive dialogue all the way through and he wants to be a one-club player, he’s happy on the northern beaches so the deal makes sense for both of us," Penn told the publication.
“He was outstanding for us the other night, and even though he’s coming into the back end of his career, he continues to show he has plenty to offer."
The incumbent Queensland Maroons Captain and Australian Kangaroos Halfback will be 36 by the end of this extension, which likely means this will be his final contract.
Despite that, Cherry-Evans says he doesn't feel close to the end when speaking to the publication last year.
“I not only want to keep playing, I want to keep playing to win, and I see us winning here at Manly," Cherry-Evans said.
“There’s a core group of players already re-signed, including the coach we love and trust, and it excites me we’re in a really good position to succeed.
Manly looks set to compete for the foreseeable future not only with Tom Trbojevic but with an influx of young stars coming through the ranks.
In Round 4, Cherry-Evans almost single-handedly dismantled the Canberra Raiders, but will now need to play without Trbojevic for the next month after he suffered a medial tear to the knee which will keep him out for the next month.
Manly, who have won two of their first four in an unconvincing start to the season, take on the Newcastle Knights this Thursday night on a five-day turnaround.
