As calls grow for fans not to boo Daly Cherry-Evans on his return to Brookvale Oval, NRL great James Maloney has called for supporters to do the opposite.
Cherry-Evans opted to leave the Sea Eagles at the end of 2025 after bungled contract negotiations drove him to ink a deal with the Tri Colours for 2026.
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The move left many supporters reeling, with the Manly faithful hoping he would finish his career at the club he played at for 15 NRL seasons.
On Thursday night, Cherry-Evans will return to Brookvale Oval, but for the first time he won’t be in maroon and white.
And speaking on news.com.au’s The Extended Bench, the dual-premiership winner said while he is a legend at the club, he is now the enemy and called on Manly fans to “come out boo him and give him grief” as he runs out for the Roosters on Thursday night.
“The million-dollar question is what reaction will DCE get? He’s done so much for that club, but then he’s still the enemy when he turns back up,” Maloney said on The Extended Bench.
“I am looking forward to seeing if he runs out to cheers or boos. I think you can respect what he’s done for the club but still boo him.
“I think mate you’re now the opposition. (The fans should) come out boo him and give him grief. After the game go well done mate good to see you back here at Brooky
“(But before full time) no one is here to be friends.”
Maloney’s comments come as Sea Eagles captain Tom Trbojevic called for fans to cheer rather than boo the veteran halfback on his return to Brookvale Oval.
“I can understand it in the sense that he played for us and now he’s playing for a different club,” Trbojevic said ahead of Thursday night’s clash.
“I’m not going to tell anyone what to do. If they’re going to boo him, they’re going to boo him, it doesn’t matter what I say.
“(But) I think the (Manly fans) should cheer him, what he’s done for this club. He’s played 350-odd games for us and has been one of our all-time greats.
“I’m not going to tell the fans what to do but I’d like to think they’d be cheering him.”
Daly Cherry-Evans comfortable with whatever reception he gets
But even if he is booed, the Roosters half says he won’t let it get to him.
“It’s very rare, people staying at one club for their whole career. Teams build rivalries based on players changing clubs. The opportunity to go back to a place where I’ve spent 15 years of my career is really exciting,” he told SMH.
“That’s not to say some people there might be a bit more negative,” he added.
“But overall my relationship with the hill has been awesome the whole way through.
“It’s not to say people won’t boo, but I’m very, very comfortable with so many friendships and relationships I’ve got with the Manly fan base.”
You can watch all new episodes of news.com.au’s The Extended Bench every Tuesday on YouTube.
