Daly Cherry-Evans will go down as Hull FC great regardless of age concerns
Daly Cherry-Evans poses for a picture in his Sydney Roosters jersey during a media shoot in 2026
It will go down as one of the biggest signings in Super League history, and it could well go down as one of the most important for Hull FC.
DCE is heading to HU3 in a deal that has the potential to go down as the one that will finally turn Hull FC’s fortunes around.
What has been clear watching Hull FC this year is that they lack genuine, elite-level leaders. They have arguably been Super League’s most disappointing side this year and alongside a seismic injury list, it has been a lack of stewardship within the playing group that has seen them flatter to deceive.
In Cherry-Evans, Hull FC have recruited one of the generation’s great generals.
His résumé says it all. An NRL champion, six time State of Origin champion, two-time World Cup winner. His CV stacks up with the very best. He is Manly’s all-time appearance maker, Queensland’s captain for seven series.
He’s now bringing all of that experience to the MKM Stadium.
His age will inevitably bring with it some concerns. Or that is until you factor in the performance he produced for Sydney Roosters on the day his signing was announced. Cherry-Evans outplayed Nathan Cleary, widely regarded as the sport’s best player, as the Roosters beat Penrith Panthers in a top of the table clash, scoring a crucial try in the process.
Cherry-Evans is currently leading the team top of the table in the NRL, playing every single game so far. The idea that he is too old is ludicrous.
His on-field performances will inevitably determine whether the move is considered a success externally. Internally, his influence will be equally as precious to Steve McNamara in instilling the standards and culture he wants to drive moving forward.
You can inevitably draw comparisons to the signing of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves across the city. He stood up when it mattered in last year’s Grand Final but ask Rovers what value JWH brought, and they’d argue it was the standards he instilled and enforced day-to-day rather than the 80 minutes on the pitch. His absence has been felt this year, too.
Cherry-Evans is exactly what Hull FC need, and will prove to be one of McNamara’s crucial moves at the start of his tenure at the club. They have looked rudderless quite often during an underwhelming number of seasons. That won’t be the case with DCE.
