Source :- THE AGE NEWS
From the calmly slotted match-winning field goal against Newcastle, to the brilliantly weighted grubber for a flying James Tedesco to score in the final minute against South Sydney, to the dummy to fool Ezra Mam against Brisbane in round nine, Daly Cherry-Evans has given the Sydney Roosters plenty of bang for their buck this year.
But it might be the things that fans don’t see that have been most valuable to the Bondi club.
Even at 37, Cherry-Evans will be the one asking questions of the in-form Bulldogs when the Roosters try to keep their top-two hopes – and even minor premiership dream – alive at Allianz Stadium on Friday night.
One of the few things Cherry-Evans has got wrong this season was riding an e-bike without a helmet along Driver Avenue before Christmas. To be fair, Cherry-Evans had started pre-season training with his new club a couple of weeks before he was expected.
As Cherry-Evans weighs up whether to push on for one final season next year, teammates explained why he has been such a good buy for the club.
Stepping up when games are there to be won
In round 21, the Roosters and Knights were all tied up with less than five minutes remaining when Cherry-Evans started barking orders.
“We needed a field goal at the end there, and ‘Chez’ did it with his clear communication, clarity on where we needed to get to on the field, then he steps up and hit it,” said Tedesco of Cherry-Evans icing his 31st career one-pointer.
“That experience and leadership, and ability to ice those big moments, which he has done numerous times now, it’s so important for a team. I don’t know if it’s something he thinks about, but when it comes to the crunch, his voice becomes so important.”
Tedesco also remembered Cherry-Evans telling him to expect a grubber at the end of the set against South Sydney in round two. Cody Walker took out Tedesco, and with the Roosters leading 20-18 with a minute to go, the easy option would have been to kick the penalty goal and wind down the clock. Cherry-Evans had other ideas, and Tedesco was the beneficiary.
Perfect foil for Sam Walker
Sam Walker is having a fantastic season, so much so there is talk the club wants to make him a Rooster for life with a hefty contract extension.
Cherry-Evans has one of the best kicking games in the NRL and knows exactly what kick is required at what stage of the game, which often helps swing the momentum back to the red, white and blue.
Cherry-Evans’ trusty right boot also takes the pressure off Walker, who is allowed to play his own game. As several Roosters players noted, Walker is first receiver most of the time, but has the freedom to roam and play what he sees, rather than worrying about what other players are doing.
“The way he talks, the way he carries himself, he gets the best out of players, and he’s certainly got the best out of me,” Walker said of DCE. “He’s just someone I love chatting to.”
Preparation is everything
Cherry-Evans’ approach to training and the way he looks after his body explain why he has played 371 games, and could become just the second player behind Cameron Smith to reach 400 first-grade games in Australia should he choose to play on in 2027.
“I don’t think I’ve met a bloke who stretches more than Daly,” Connor Watson said. “You’ll be sitting there talking to him, he’ll put his leg up and start leaning over. He’s so resilient.”
Cherry-Evans hardly plays in a “dinner suit” either, with Walker quick to point out: “‘Chez’ is still willing to wear a hit for the team and create space for the guys around him.”
Treating everyone as equals
Victor Radley is regarded as the biggest larrikin at Bondi, and the man who keeps the mood light, but Cherry-Evans is “one of the boys”, despite his very polished public persona.
If billionaire owner Nick Politis is unable to pick up the bar tab at a club event, Cherry-Evans is usually the one footing the bill.
“If you’re with him getting a coffee or drink, you will never pay – he’s always looking out for the boys,” Cody Ramsey said. “He is the most genuine person I’ve met in my life. Everything about him, he’s so humble.”
Cherry-Evans has prided himself on treating the club’s fringe players with the same level of respect he has for Roosters veterans such as Daniel Tupou and even Tedesco.
The ideal stand-in leader
Cherry-Evans was the ready-made replacement captain when Tedesco and so many of his Roosters teammates were on Origin duty this year, and even when they are there, you could swear the former Manly premiership winner is the one mainly calling the shots.
When Tedesco referred to the Souths game in round two, when the Roosters opted against taking the penalty goal in the 79th minute, TV cameras captured Cherry-Evans – not Tedesco – telling the players exactly how things were going to play out.
And after the win over Newcastle, Cherry-Evans, despite saving his team with the field goal, spent several minutes on the field speaking to Siua Wong, Rob Toia and Mark Nawaqanitawase – his fellow right-edge defenders – after they were exposed more than once by the home side.
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