Daly Cherry-Evans admits Trent Barrett’s departure could result in a player exodus

SEA Eagles captain Daly Cherry-Evans has made no assurances that the playing group will stay intact after Trent Barrett walks away at season’s end.

Speaking on Fox Sports’ League Life, Cherry-Evans could only guarantee that he was staying put, saying he was “pretty hopeful” his teammates would feel the same.

“Yeah definitely it’s a little concern,” he lamented, when asked if players could leave en masse.

“You’d like to think the environment we’ve built around Manly amongst the playing group, it’s a good place to be, it’s a fun place to go to training everyday, and rock up and work on what we’re trying to achieve, which is success.

“Look, when turmoil hits a club yeah sure people want to come in and swoop and take a couple of the nice pieces that stick out.

“But at the end of the day, you can only hope that what you’re trying to build there with the club — and that’s front office, that’s the playing group, that’s the coaching staff — you can only hope that environment you’re trying to build there is enticing enough for people to want to stay and not chase other opportunities.

“I’m pretty hopeful the playing group is going to stay intact and we fix it, and then moving forward it’s all happy families.”

But he later said he was staring down the barrel of a fourth coach as he approaches his ninth season, which he conceded was “not ideal”.

In an admission sure to rile the Sea Eagles faithful, the No.7 said his teammates had his blessing if they wanted to look elsewhere.

“Certainly [I] wouldn’t begrudge anyone else for looking after themselves,” he continued.

“That’s always what I’ve been able to do is make sure I look after myself and put myself in the best position to play good footy. And I’d never begrudge a teammate for going and doing something like that.”

James Hooper had earlier told NRL 360 that Sea Eagles stars were “fuming” about the treatment of Barrett, and he suggested an exodus could be on the cards.

“I think there are a number of Manly players, and we’re going to hear from Daly Cherry-Evans on League Life tonight, they’re fuming,” he said.

“They’re frustrated with this situation, they’re not happy about the fact Trent Barrett isn’t going to be the head coach next year. So, I’m not sure what that means in terms of their futures.

“We’ve seen over last off-season a number of players who weren’t officially on off-contract lists, I’m thinking of Mitchell Pearce, all of a sudden became available and were shifted from the Sydney Roosters to the Newcastle Knights... who knows but that could be the next real issue facing [chairman] Scott Penn and [CEO] Lyall Gorman, because it’s an unhappy playing group.”

Cherry-Evans confirmed Barrett’s popularity amongst the playing group, saying he hadn’t even come to terms with his imminent departure because he was still holding on to the slim hope that the spat could be resolved.

“Well I’ve had conversations with my coach and he feels as though the playing group aren’t getting the support they require to be at their best,” he revealed.

“I obviously have a very strong affection for what ‘Baz’ has been able to do in helping my footy career and look if he’s not there next year, I’m going to have to find ways with the new coaching staff to improve and the new playing group.

“I think the biggest disappointment is the impact that he’s had on the playing group in such a short time.”

Hooper went on to label the Sea Eagles “a basket case” under the leadership of Penn. And Paul Kent said it was up to the owner and chairman to stop the bleeding.

“[Barrett] took the job walking into [the mess], they were already very unstable at the top,” he said.

“I think they’ve had 10 or 11 CEOs in the last 10 years. That’s just the way they roll out there, they get a guy in for five minutes, enough to burn a few things down.

“Scott Penn’s got to start taking [ownership], he is the owner but when I say he’s got to start taking ownership, he needs to start getting his hands dirty.

“He needs to get in there and actually figure it out because every appointment he seemingly makes is a dud.”