Daly Cherry-Evans transfer twist as Roosters contract ‘not registered’

Daly Cherry-Evans is heading to the Sydney Roosters in 2026: but he may not play for them in any capacity, a fresh report has suggested.

Cherry-Evans has agreed a deal to join the Roosters next year, ending his lengthy association with Manly Sea Eagles. Reports have suggested he will sign a two-year deal with Trent Robinson’s side but one year as a player, with a second year as a coach.

However, there has now been fresh doubt cast on whether Cherry-Evans will ever pull on a Roosters shirt as a player from veteran journalist Phil Rothfield.

Speaking on NRL 360, Rothfield revealed that Cherry-Evans’ contract has not yet been registered with the NRL as a player. With an agreement in place for Cherry-Evans to go to the club, it is now possible that he could go straight into a coaching role and not play at all, according to Rothfield.

However, that would not impact their salary cap spend for 2026.

“If he has signed anything, his contract has not been registered with the NRL,” Rothfield said on Tuesday. “They’ve got to pay Daly Cherry-Evans whatever they’ve promised him because they’ve got an agreement.

“But if they paid him now on the side and said come here and join Robbo’s coaching stuff, what I’m saying is it doesn’t affect the salary cap.”

If Cherry-Evans does still join as a player, someone will have to make way – and reports in Australia in recent days have suggested that could be Sandon Smith, with the half-back given permission to speak to rival clubs.

Smith was impressive over the weekend as the Roosters emphatically kept their play-off hopes alive with a big victory against the Dolphins.

But with Cherry-Evans set to arrive in Bondi next year, it seems change is on the horizon at the NRL club from 2026 onwards.