NRL veteran Daly Cherry-Evans has spoken about his bombshell move to leave the NRL at season's end to link up with Hull FC in the English Super League.

It caught many by surprise that Cherry-Evans opted for a switch in hemispheres and he showed on Thursday night he still has what it takes to withstand the intensity of the elite Australian competition, with a two-try stellar performance in a finals-like environment against the Penrith Panthers.

It moved the Roosters to the top of the table and they now remain in the box seat to claim the minor premiership as the race for the finals begins to heat up.

Hull FC's signing of the veteran halfback sits as one of the most significant recruitments of all time in the club's history, and will elevate the organisation dramatically in 2027.

Cherry-Evans will be 38 years old when he dons the black and white colours. He admitted he's had a "curiosity" about the Super League, feeling like it's the "right time" to make the switch, and that Hull FC was able to accommodate that dream.

"That's just where the relationships and the connections felt right. I didn't have to look at too many other places, to be honest. If you're going to do it, you might as well do it properly, and Hull will give us that opportunity," Cherry-Evans said to the media on Friday.

"As a person, deep down, I've always had that curiosity about what Super League would be like or what another code would be like in another country. As I've gotten older, I've understood that there's a big wide world out there, so it has become an interest, but I never knew when.

GOSFORD, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 21: Daly Cherry-Evans of the Roosters leaves the field with team mates due to weather during the NRL pre-season match between Sydney Roosters and Parramatta Eels at Polytec Stadium, on February 21, 2026, in Gosford, Australia. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
GOSFORD, AUSTRALIA - FEBRUARY 21: Daly Cherry-Evans of the Roosters leaves the field with team mates due to weather during the NRL pre-season match between Sydney Roosters and Parramatta Eels at Polytec Stadium, on February 21, 2026, in Gosford, Australia. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)

"I never had a timeline. It was just a thought that kept popping over again and again. It felt like coming to the Roosters wasn't just going to benefit me with footy, but also challenge me in other ways, and that's definitely been the case. It'll be another case of that in a different country next year.

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"It just feels like the right time. No one can know when someone's right time is. It comes from deep within. The conversations I've had with myself and the people I love and trust - everything just makes sense to make the move now.

"There was definitely that voice in my head that said, 'Stay in the NRL. Keep living out that dream.' But there's more to my story than me just playing in the NRL.

"I guess why I play in the NRL has a lot to do with challenging myself at the highest level but also inspiring my family and I feel like our family is ready for something different.

"We've had an amazing experience that's still continuing at the Roosters, but what an amazing opportunity I'm going to have to go and play in the UK with my wife and kids who will be old enough to remember it years down the track."

Cherry-Evans made the high-profile switch to the tri-colours after spending an illustrious 15-season stint at the Manly Sea Eagles, winning a premiership in his debut year and later becoming the club's most-capped player of all time.

A breakdown in contract extension communications in the post-2024 season prompted Cherry-Evans to explore his options, which led to the Roosters placing a bid for the veteran playmaker.

Since his arrival, the club has been humming along and is set to make a deep run into the finals and challenge for the trophy on the first weekend of October.

"There's absolutely nothing more important to me right now than winning a Premiership this year, but at some stage you do have to protect your future, and talking to my wife and the people we love and trust within our circle, we were told you will never regret going over to the UK and giving the Super League a go," he said.

Cherry-Evans backs Hasler for Manly top job
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - OCTOBER 02: Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler congratulates Daly Cherry-Evans after the 2011 NRL Grand Final match between the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles and the Warriors at ANZ Stadium on October 2, 2011 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)

"We're really excited about what's ahead for us as a family and also I'm very excited about the challenges that the Super League is going to give to me.

"I am always about challenges and testing myself and Super League is going to give me that opportunity.

"But now that it's all done, it's great and I'm excited about it, but I can just drop the shoulders and just focus on everything inside these four walls for the rest of the year."

Cherry-Evans has played 373 NRL games in the top grade since 2011, representing the Queensland Maroons 26 times and donning the green and gold on 21 occasions.

The Redcliffe-product's move to England means he will narrowly miss out on the incredible 400-NRL game milestone, sitting second to Cameron Smith, the only player who reached the quad century.