Still in peak form at 36 years of age, it seemed a fait accompli that Manly captain and halfback Daly Cherry-Evans would re-sign with the club beyond 2025.
The notion that he could leave the team he has pulled the jersey on for a record 332 times and play for another NRL team seemed far-fetched – retirement seemed a more likely option – until the extraordinary developments of earlier this week.
Cherry-Evans revealed he would not be turning out for the Sea Eagles beyond 2025, despite a belated two-year offer being tabled (bizarrely, on live television). Though publicly undecided on his future, the champion No.7 appears certain to play on at another club.
It’s hard to imagine DCE in any colours other than maroon and white, but if he suits up for a different team he will join the pantheon of club legends who have taken their talents elsewhere late in their careers.
Frank Burge
‘Chunky’ Burge’s legacy is arguably bigger than that of the Glebe club he played 16 seasons for during rugby league’s pioneering era.
The most phenomenal tryscoring forward the game has ever known, Burge crossed 139 times in 138 games for the ‘Dirty Reds’ and still holds the premiership record for most tries in a match (eight versus University in 1920).
In 1927, the future Immortal took over as captain-coach at St George – scoring nine tries in 15 games and leading the club to the premiership final (a 20-11 loss to Souths) before hanging up the boots. Burge carved out a successful coaching career with several Sydney clubs, while Glebe folded in 1929.
Ken Irvine
Arguably the finest winger in Australian rugby league history, 33-Test veteran Irvine scored 171 tries in 178 games for long-suffering North Sydney from 1958-70.
The 30-year-old Bears captain was lured to neighbouring archrival Manly in 1971, however, and featured in the Sea Eagles’ first two grand final triumphs in 1972-73, as well as extended his premiership-record tryscoring tally to the iconic figure of 212.
Bob McCarthy
‘Macca’ was a revolutionary figure as a wide-running second-rower with South Sydney in the 1960s and 1970s, racking up 100 tries in a then-club record 211 games and featuring in three grand final triumphs.
One of the last remnants of the Rabbitohs’ golden era, McCarthy finished the club’s disastrous 1975 season as captain-coach – but the 31-year-old opted to move on to Canterbury-Bankstown at the end of the year.
McCarthy played 40 games for the Berries before fittingly finishing his career back at Souths in 1978.
Bob Fulton
Five-eighth/centre wizard Fulton scored a club record 129 games for Manly and played his 213th game for the Sea Eagles in captaining them to grand final glory in 1976.
Manly’s favourite son shocked the rugby league world by joining Easts in 1977, however, eventually retiring due to injury midway through his first season as captain-coach in 1979.
‘Bozo’ was named as one of the four inaugural Immortals the following year before dominating the coaching scene for two decades.
Tom Raudonikis
The pugnacious Raudonikis played more than 200 first-grade games for Western Suburbs from 1969-79 and typified the famous ‘Fibros’-era Magpies with his aggressive and wholehearted play at halfback.
The Australian Test stalwart was lured to big-spending Newtown in 1980 and captained the Jets to its last grand final in 1981, scoring a try in a 20-11 loss to Parramatta. Raudonikis’ career wound down in 1982 and he kicked off a long coaching career in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership.
Steve Rogers
Rolls Royce centre Rogers remains arguably Cronulla’s greatest-ever player, starring in the club’s drives to the 1973 and ’78 grand finals, and winning the Dally M Player and Captain of the Year awards in 1981.
But ‘Sludge’, after 198 games for the Sharks, departed the financially-strapped club at the end of 1982 to chase an elusive premiership with St George – a dream that evaporated in the Dragons’ heart-breaking preliminary final loss to Parramatta in 1984.
Rogers’ return to Cronulla in 1985 was cut short after two games when Canterbury’s Mark Bugden broke his jaw, while a broken leg while playing for Widnes scuppered a proposed comeback with Illawarra in 1986. He was named in the NSW Team of the Century in 2008.
Chris Mortimer
The last of the Mortimer brothers to arrive at Canterbury, teak-tough centre/five-eighth Chris played 193 first-grade games in 10 seasons with the Bulldogs and starred in their 1980 and 1984-85 grand final victories – kicking a decisive field goal in the latter.
‘Louie’, a 1986 Kangaroo, was poached by a Penrith side desperate for his experience and leadership – which he provided in spades to help the battlers to a fifth-place playoff in 1988, a top-three finish in 1989 and a maiden grand final in 1990.
Mortimer finished his career in England after playing at lock the Panthers’ loss to Canberra in the 1990 decider.
Craig Coleman
Combative halfback Coleman’s 11 seasons at South Sydney netted 208 first-grade games – just three short of the club record. He went to English club Salford but returned to the NSWRL premiership in 1994 as a 31-year-old, playing every game for Gold Coast Seagulls over the next two seasons.
‘Tugger’ finished his career at Western Suburbs in 1996 and returned to Souths in a coaching capacity, taking over the reins of the NRL side during 1998.
Des Hasler
Though he started his career at Penrith, the ultra-versatile Hasler became an icon at Manly – playing 256 games from 1983-96 and winning premierships at halfback and hooker.
The 35-year-old was expected to retire after helping the club to grand final victory in 1996, but he instead took up a one-year offer with Western Suburbs, where he showed his durability and utility value by playing all but one game and making appearances at halfback, lock and hooker.
Steve Walters
Brisbane-bred hooker Steve Walters became regarded as arguably the best to ever play the position during 11 seasons and 227 games for Canberra from 1986-96, playing an integral role as one of only four Raiders to feature in all three of the club’s grand final victories.
But 31-year-old ‘Boxhead’ followed outgoing coach Tim Sheens to North Queensland in 1997, spending two seasons with the struggling side before a stint with Newcastle in 1999 was abandoned after seven games due to injury.
Ricky Stuart and Bradley Clyde
In one of the most controversial personnel calls ever made by a club, Canberra opted to focus on the future and decline to offer an extension to modern greats Ricky Stuart and Bradley Clyde – who had played – beyond 1998.
The pair both debuted for the Raiders in 1988 and were the fulcrum of the club’s golden era, playing a combined 381 first-grade games in the lime green.
They were both snapped up by Canterbury, Stuart hanging up the boots at the end of 2000 and moving into coaching, and Clyde playing a further season with Leeds in 2001.
Gary Larson and David Fairleigh
The glut of international forwards in Manly’s ranks left North Sydney greats Gary Larson and David Fairleigh on the outer when the Northern Eagles merger took shape in 2000.
Larson (233 games for the Bears) linked with Parramatta and Fairleigh (193 games) joined Newcastle, with both clubs reaching a preliminary final while the Eagles finished 12th. Larson retired at the end of 2000, while Fairleigh played a further year at St Helens.
David Peachey
Flamboyant, long-striding fullback Peachey became a Cronulla legend in 232 games over 12 seasons, scoring 110 tries, winning Dally M Fullback of the Year honours in 1999-2000 and the Captain of the Year gong in 2001.
The Sharks controversially announced they would not be retaining Peachey’s services beyond 2005.
After a stint with financially-embattled Widnes came unstuck just a couple of months in, Peachey spent the 2006-07 seasons with South Sydney but was relegated to reserve grade prior to their drought-breaking finals appearance in the latter campaign.
Robbie Farah
Brilliant hooker and long-serving captain Farah’s 14-season, 247-game tenure at Wests Tigers came to an explosive end after a bust-up with coach Jason Taylor – immortalised by the demoted veteran drinking beer while sitting on the Leichhardt Oval scoreboard during a game.
Farah joined South Sydney and played every game of the club’s 2017 campaign, but he was brought back to the Tigers midway through 2018 by Ivan Cleary and played a further 30 games for the joint venture.
Ironically, he played under his ex-Rabbitohs coach Michael Maguire in his farewell 2019 season.
Cooper Cronk
Cronk fashioned a reputation as one of the game’s best-ever halfbacks in a 14-season, 323-game tenure with Melbourne, winning two Dally M Medals and playing in seven grand finals for four premierships (two of which were stripped).
After steering the Storm to NRL glory in 2017, the 34-year-old joined Sydney Roosters – and was central to their 2018-19 premiership triumphs, adding enormously to his own legacy and confirming the Roosters’ bold move for the veteran as one of the great recruitment calls.
Cronk became part of a select group of players to win premierships in consecutive years with different clubs and the first to win grand finals in their last three seasons since St George’s 1956-66 reign. He is also the only player to date to play 300 games for one club then turn out for an NRL rival.
Mitchell Pearce
Cronk’s arrival pushed the Roosters’ 2013 premiership halfback Pearce, who had played 238 games since debuting there a decade earlier, out of the club.
Pearce, still only 28, was snapped up by Newcastle and played 71 games for the Knights in four seasons, before finishing his career at Catalans.
Jesse Bromwich
An absolute ironman in 13 seasons with Melbourne, former New Zealand Test captain Bromwich was a marquee buy for the fledgling Dolphins for their 2023 NRL entry. He played 295 games (the second-most ever for one club to then go on and join another) and won three premierships with the Storm.
Bromwich played 43 games – all as skipper – in the Dolphins’ first two seasons before hanging up the boots. Younger brother Kenny, who played 216 games and won two grand finals with the Storm, was also a foundation Dolphins player.