Back then, Cherry-Evans was just another hopeful halfback who was looking to make his NRL debut. Few could have predicted that he would go on to become one of the game\u2019s premier playmakers and an influential figure to the next generation of players wearing the No.7.<\/p>\n
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Over nearly two decades, the veteran has redefined consistency and set the benchmark for kicking, passing, and controlling the match in attack.<\/p>\n
But beyond the technical side of his game, it\u2019s his temperament that has come to define his legacy. That quality is what stands out most to those who have played alongside him.<\/p>\n
Speaking to foxsports.com.au, Cherry-Evans\u2019 former Queensland Maroons teammate Cooper Cronk pointed to his composure as the trait that defines him and will help the halfback when he faces his former team on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cHis temperament and demeanour,\u201d Cronk said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think if you are a 350-plus game player who spent however long he did at Manly and you\u2019re returning back to your old home ground that you\u2019ve spilled blood at over a long period of time, you better be unequivocal in your confidence and your ability to stay present or consistent. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think that\u2019s going to be one thing that will probably be his greatest strength come Thursday night. <\/p>\n
\u201cOutside of the actual physical performance, it\u2019s just his temperament and his cool head. <\/p>\n
\u201cHe is pretty consistent in the way that he\u2019s carried himself for a long time and I think that will do a lot of help for him on Thursday.\u201d<\/p>\n
Get all the latest NRL news, highlights and analysis delivered straight to your inbox with Fox Sports Sportmail. Sign up now!!!<\/a><\/p>\n It has been a long road for DCE.Source: News Limited<\/p>\n \u2018UGLY\u2019 END TO MANLY CAREER… AND HOW ROOSTERS MOVE CAME TO BE<\/p>\n As Cherry-Evans prepares to take on his former team later on tonight, the spotlight also turns back to how his switch from the Northern Beaches to the Tricolours first transpired – a transfer that sent shockwaves through the NRL at the time.<\/p>\n What started as a routine contract situation between Cherry-Evans\u2019 management and Manly powerbrokers quickly escalated to one of the most talked-about player movements when he took to television to publicly state that he had yet to be offered a contract extension.<\/p>\n The most-capped player for the Sea Eagles, he then formally declined a two-year extension offer and decided to exit the team he won a premiership with in 2011 to link up with Trent Robinson at the Roosters.<\/p>\n It was a controversial decision at the time, and one that played out in the media for the majority of the season until Cherry-Evans eventually made his move to the Roosters official in November.<\/p>\n The way Cherry-Evans went about it, and specifically the decision to publicise his exit on television, rubbed some prominent people in the rugby league world the wrong way. <\/p>\n That included former Manly enforcer Mark Carroll, who even revealed that he had a run-in with Cherry-Evans<\/a> during the season over his decision to leave the club.<\/p>\n \u201cI truly believe Manly would be playing finals footy if not for his selfish decision to abandon ship and the way he went about it,\u201d Carroll said at the time. <\/p>\n \u201cHow you can go on a footy show \u2013 with no club gear on \u2013 and blindside so many people with such a major career call is beyond me.<\/p>\n \u201cIf DCE\u2019s got a problem with me, I can live with that.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t have any regrets – but I\u2019m not sure he can say the same thing.\u201d<\/p>\n While there were fears Cherry-Evans could be booed by his own fans amid the ongoing contract circus, the opposite ended up being true. <\/p>\n Cherry-Evans said he got quite \u201cemotional\u201d when he ran out at 4 Pines Park to resounding cheers in March last year, later telling reporters in a cryptic press conference<\/a> that he had been the victim of a \u201csmear campaign\u201d that quickly became \u201ca bit nasty and ugly\u201d.<\/p>\n MORE NRL NEWS<\/p>\n TALKING PTS: Why alarm bells are ringing for Storm; \u2018elephant in the room\u2019 for Dogs<\/a><\/p>\n