Daly Cherry-Evans makes honest admission on future as potential destinations revealed

Queensland captain Daly Cherry-Evans has confirmed he will continue playing beyond the 2025 NRL season and is currently in talks with the Sydney Roosters and Dolphins about a possible move for 2026.

After weeks of ongoing speculation, the veteran Manly Sea Eagles half-back clarified his intentions just over a week out from game one of this year’s State of Origin series.

Despite reports suggesting a deal with the Roosters is all but finalised, Cherry-Evans revealed to Code Sports that no contract has been signed.

“Yes, the Roosters are someone I have spoken to,” Cherry-Evans said.

“But, no, nothing has been done yet. I haven’t signed with anyone and that’s the part I’ve kept really tight. I made it clear at the start I wasn’t going to waste anyone’s time with this process.

“The Dolphins is one of the sides I have spoken to but again nothing has happened,” he said.

While the 36-year-old is currently fielding offers, he emphasised his present focus remains on his commitments to Manly and Queensland.

“Even though I have told you who I have been talking to, I don’t think it’s fair to talk about the other clubs right now while I am at Manly,” Cherry-Evans said.

“I don’t think it’s fair for me to talk too much about why I would want to go somewhere else when my job right now is to play well for Queensland and Manly and try and win a premiership this year.”

Cherry-Evans dismissed suggestions that ongoing speculation around his future would affect Queensland’s State of Origin campaign, even though his former Maroons teammate Cooper Cronk urged him to make a public decision to minimise distractions.

“People might say your decision holding off is putting pressure on – but I don’t believe it is,” he said. “We don’t have anyone in this team that is a Manly player which is really good, so there’s nothing for them to worry about.”

The long-serving Maroons halfback, who will play his 26th Origin match next week, said the decision to play on came after carefully assessing his motivation and form during the early stages of the season.

“The first part was making sure that I would be good to go again [for Queensland], and after the first 11 weeks of the season, the motivation is as high as ever to play Origin,” he said. “The motivation is definitely there to play on next year.”

Cherry-Evans added that while he expects to sign with a club for 2026, it won’t happen during the Origin period.

“When the time is right, I will sign on with the club and make an announcement, but that’s highly unlikely to happen any time soon and certainly not during Origin,” he said.

The veteran halfback said an impromptu breakfast with Queensland coach Billy Slater was the catalyst to believing he still belongs among the NRL’s elite.

“The purpose was Billy just being a good person and seeing how I was, which shocks nobody,” he said. “He genuinely just wanted to see how I was travelling … He just wanted to reassure me that if I was playing the footy that deserves a spot [for Queensland], then I will have that spot.”

Cherry-Evans, who made his Origin debut in 2015, is set to enter his 11th campaign for the Maroons.

“I can honestly say [my future in 2026] is something I am not losing much sleep over,” he said. “I know based on conversations I have that next year will be fine when I do decide to sit down and sign with someone.”