Cherry-Evans is expected to join the Sydney Roosters on a one-year deal next season. The club and player have stayed quiet, just like 2017 when the Bondi club and Cooper Cronk remained tight-lipped until the respective club’s campaigns were over.
He finished the night with a left-footed field-goal from 19m out. It was the 29th of his career. The 17,172 fans also got a glimpse of the future with teen playmaker Joey Walsh debuting on the hour mark.
Daly Cherry-Evans and Luke Brooks.Credit: Getty Images
Even at 36, Cherry-Evans still has plenty to offer in the NRL. Manly have been savaged by injuries, especially to their forwards, so you can only imagine what DCE might do next year behind a fit and firing pack.
Hopoate helped himself to a first-half double, while Jake Simpkin and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak traded tries as Manly went to the break ahead 14-10.
Watene-Zelezniak could have had a double, only to be denied by Hopoate and the touchline approaching the half-hour. The winger wiped out a Fox Sports cameraman in the process, which left him with a gruesome leg injury and later rushed to hospital.
Warriors centre Rocco Berry was already en route to hospital after he dislocated his shoulder.
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The Warriors will now most likely host the Panthers next weekend, but Cherry-Evans, Tom Trbojevic and Hopoate could have caused a few more headaches for opposition sides in the finals.
The Auckland side have hit a wall in terms of form, especially since the loss of their star playmaker Luke Metcalf, but they have had ample time to get their act together. One thing in their favour is hosting in front of their parochial fans.
Still, coach Andrew Webster would have loved to have seen a bit more from his side in the hope they could head into the new campaign with a bit of momentum.
Berry will not play next week, while back-rower Eddie Ieremia-Toeava also came from the field on the hour clutching at his right shoulder.