Should we backflip on the backflipper?

[A Country Member]

Given that Daly Cherry- Evans is considered a certainty to sign for the Roosters, with every day that passes and no official word from either party, has a deal actually been done?

It’s been posed numerous times, given his mediocre form and the rising standard of our younger squad:

Should the club backflip on the backflipper?

[Noosa Rooster]

Yes definitely, although I doubt we'll backflip if a hand has already been shaken.

[SamKerrSimp]

Yes, chasing a halfback who will be 37 when the season starts and hasn't taken a team to being a contender for over a decade is beyond laughable

[The Real King]

Yes, chasing a halfback who will be 37 when the season starts and hasn't taken a team to being a contender for over a decade is beyond laughable

We need DCE, we have missed someone that can steer the ship since Cronk retired.
That's been our biggest problem in the last 6 years and it has a compounding effect whereby other players think it's their job when it's always been the halfbacks job.

Keary didn't want to do it and Walker can't do it. Yeah, us paying 1 mill is Laughable, but it's better than crying watching Sandon Smith doing the dumb things he does at crucial stages in a game.
Hugo seems smarter, but they are all just killing time until Rodwell takes over after DCE retires.

[A Country Member]

The club should listen to the fans.
Pissing us off is bad for business, baby

[MKCS]

Daly even at 37 is a huge upgrade on the NSW Cup standard 5/8 we have and the 8-9 match rookie we have. If we want to win a comp in 2026 then we need to sign DCE, Hugo and Sandon are good enough to get it done against bottom 8 sides but they crumble when coming up against better sides.

In 2026 no chance do we overcome teams like Bulldogs, Canberra, Melbourne, Warriors, an embarrassed and motivated Penrith or others without DCE.

[SamKerrSimp]

The Warriors are being lead around by a halfback with less than 50 NRL games played who is partnered by Harris-Tevita and we need a has been old man halfback to beat THAT? And they could only scrape by us when we had Townsend putting in a stinker? The same Raiders who struggled to get by us 8 days ago? The same Bulldogs that also struggled to get by us? We don't need DCE to beat these teams

[nayfo]

I just wish they would announce if he has signed or not so we can get rid of these constant threads and arguments. If he doesn’t come I won’t care and if he signs then I’ll support him in our colours. I just don’t understand the holdup.

[Barron's Dream]

DCE is so done. He is Manly the core. Terrible mistake to even consider signing him.

[Mr Whippet]

The Warriors are being lead around by a halfback with less than 50 NRL games played who is partnered by Harris-Tevita and we need a has been old man halfback to beat THAT? And they could only scrape by us when we had Townsend putting in a stinker? The same Raiders who struggled to get by us 8 days ago? The same Bulldogs that also struggled to get by us? We don't need DCE to beat these teams

The same for me,

[Jacks Fur Coat]

We need DCE, we have missed someone that can steer the ship since Cronk retired.
That's been our biggest problem in the last 6 years and it has a compounding effect whereby other players think it's their job when it's always been the halfbacks job.

Keary didn't want to do it and Walker can't do it. Yeah, us paying 1 mill is Laughable, but it's better than crying watching Sandon Smith doing the dumb things he does at crucial stages in a game.
Hugo seems smarter, but they are all just killing time until Rodwell takes over after DCE retires.

I was previously against the idea of signing DCE, but you make some decent points real King.

[milanja]

We need DCE, we have missed someone that can steer the ship since Cronk retired.
That's been our biggest problem in the last 6 years and it has a compounding effect whereby other players think it's their job when it's always been the halfbacks job.

Keary didn't want to do it and Walker can't do it. Yeah, us paying 1 mill is Laughable, but it's better than crying watching Sandon Smith doing the dumb things he does at crucial stages in a game.
Hugo seems smarter, but they are all just killing time until Rodwell takes over after DCE retires.

his steering is pretty wayward in the past few years. Manly have let plenty of leads go, his steering needs plenty of alignment to demand 1million dollars.

offer him $500k and consider it a bonus if he lasts a season.

[SupermanSupportsEasts4Eva]

Would a player sign with a club whose fans don't want him?

[MKCS]

The Warriors are being lead around by a halfback with less than 50 NRL games played who is partnered by Harris-Tevita and we need a has been old man halfback to beat THAT? And they could only scrape by us when we had Townsend putting in a stinker? The same Raiders who struggled to get by us 8 days ago? The same Bulldogs that also struggled to get by us? We don't need DCE to beat these teams

Yeah...those games aren't great examples

In the Warriors game it was Tedesco and Townsend desperately trying to get us home, Sandon Smith bombed a 3 on 1 overlap with 5 minutes to go which would've lead to us being down by 2 with 5 to go, probably would've won the game with an experienced half who knew what he was doing or at least taken it to golden point.

In the game against the Dogs I recall the halves being quite poor apart from a really nice 80 metre break by Sandon Smith off a bad Dogs kick. Savala missed 2 vital tackles that lead to tries by the Dogs and both Sandon and Savala were totally outplayed by Burton and Sexton who both crossed over and scored.

Canberra they got to play against without Fogarty and they did better. Savala from memory was solid but unspectacular all game, Sandon Smith set up a nice try early and then was below average for the rest of it including blowing I believe a 3 or 4 on 2 overlap which would've won us the game.

---

At the end of the day if these are the guys you trust to win us a comp that's fine and your opinion but out of the games mentioned we probably beat both the Raiders and Warriors this year if DCE was in our team, that isn't including the shocking game by Sandon against the Titans where he gave them the win with 15 to go which never would've happened with DCE or the game that Sandon couldn't ice against Souths that finished the game with 1 player on the bench and a centre playing 5/8. If we win those games we're comfortably top 4 and probably the favourites to win the comp alongside the Storm.

Savala will probably do great for the next 6 weeks because Walker will return and the Roosters are playing teams that Savala will at least be passable against, I'm curious to see how he goes against the Storm in late July though as that will be another big proving point on whether or not he is the guy that could play a part in us winning a premiership.

[DP1990]

Perhaps he pulls a wildcard out of no where and announces his official retirement from playing NRL. Either he fully retires from playing the sport or considers a stint over in the Super League where he might be better suited at this point of his career (age, fitness, style).

We can only wait and see.