Daly Cherry-Evans is officially a Sydney Rooster. Good luck stopping them winning the comp in 2026
The other big winner from Cherry-Evans’ signature was experienced full-back James Tedesco, who turned back the years to have the Dally M Medal stitched by June and now has another cool head and fellow leader by his side in the heat of battle.
Cherry-Evans and Tedesco will never play State of Origin football again, while Walker may be a year or two away from becoming a regular Queensland selection. New recruit Reece Robson, meanwhile, will do well to overtake Blayke Brailey for the NSW No.9 jersey, meaning the Roosters have the chance to keep their spine intact for the middle part of the campaign.
Cherry-Evans’ Roosters deal is reportedly worth around $500,000 with a halfback option for 2027.
It’s a modest salary, which means there’s plenty of money in Nick Politis’ billion-dollar piggy bank to funnel to Tedesco if the 32-year-old chooses to play beyond next season.
Mark Nawaqanitawase will head to rugby at the end of next season and is motivated to walk away with a championship ring, while Rob Toia played primarily in Origin this year as a rookie and will only improve for experience. Hugo Savala is a classy No.14 and will be Cherry-Evans’ backup.
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Cherry-Evans’ great friend Kieran Foran is returning to the Sea Eagles as part of the coaching staff and had made a very late bid to persuade DCE to stay put.
“When we talked, I said, ‘How about a backflip, Chez,’ and he just laughed,” Foran said Thursday.
Roosters coach Trent Robinson knows his young players, many of whom had good first-class success last season, are poised to do great things in 2026. All he needs is some luck due to injury.
But every coach is only as good as the senior players who set the standards and expectations for the rest of the group. Cherry-Evans fits the bill perfectly.
“Daly’s experience and understanding of the game will be a strong addition to our group and we are excited to welcome him to the Roosters,” Robinson said. “I’m looking forward to working with him.”
