After a bitter conclusion to their 2022 campaign and rampant speculation surrounding the coach and playing group, Manly Sea Eagles captain, Daly Cherry-Evans has spoken out about the pressure that almost led to him walking out on the club.
The Sea Eagles have been caught in a whirlwind at the tale end of the season, with rumours of coach Des Hasler's sacking, a divide in the dressing sheds, and a personal rift between Cherry-Evans and the Trbojevic brothers.
In talks with The Daily Telegraph, Cherry-Evans said that he considered leaving.
“I’d be lying to say it (leaving Manly) didn’t cross my mind," he said.
“People just wanted to cause uncertainty. I know that sounds ridiculous, how could people at one club want to rip the place apart but unfortunately that is the situation we have at Manly."
Cherry-Evans was confident he had not lost the support of his fellow club mates stating, "Once you have the conversations with people within the club and how unrealistic these comments (about a divide in the playing group) were, I feel really comfortable about where I stand.
"It just reassured me that what I am doing at this club is the right thing.
“The love I have for the place hasn’t changed. I am going to continue to try and get Manly back to finals next year and finish my career there.”
Manly's downfall came following the pride jersey saga, in which seven players of Polynesian descent stood down from playing in a crucial clash with the Roosters due to cultural reasons.
The controversy has subsequently sparked conversations about a fractured relationship between these players and the rest of the squad, but Cherry-Evans was quick to deny this.
“I thought that was pretty funny, to be honest considering how comfortable I am with all my teammates, let alone the seven that didn’t play (over the gay-pride jersey) and the rest of the Polynesian group.
“They are just rumours that came out because people wanted to unsettle me as a person.
“I am comfortable with my relationships at Manly.”
The Sea Eagles lost their final seven games of the season.
Cherry-Evans will don the green and gold jersey this Sunday when he leads out Australia's Prime Ministers XIII against Papua New Guinea at Suncorp Stadium.
