Anthony Seibold’s Significant Response to the Pressing Cherry-Evans Query

Manly’s head coach, Anthony Seibold, has dismissed claims that the Daly Cherry-Evans matter has been a distraction, following the Sea Eagles’ heavy defeat to the Storm, losing 48-24 on Sunday.

The Sea Eagles were a mere shadow of the squad that convincingly beat Parramatta the previous week, with five tries conceded in a devastating 14-minute period during the second half, sealing their fate.

During the post-match press conference, Seibold addressed questions regarding whether Cherry-Evans’ announcement that this season would be his last at Brookvale had impacted the team’s performance.

“I’ll respond to that – we’ve had two really solid preparations since then,” Seibold stated.

“I felt we played exceptionally well against Parramatta last week. Just look at what they did to the Dragons (on Saturday), who had a victory over the Storm the week prior.

“It’s an incredibly tough competition, yet I felt we had a solid preparation, and our training session on Thursday was particularly strong.

“However, there are times when you are simply outplayed; some teams perform better on the day than you do.

“That was certainly the case today.”

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Cherry-Evans made it clear two weeks ago that he won’t be playing for the Sea Eagles in 2026, though he is still undecided about his future, whether to continue playing elsewhere or hang up his boots.

If he chooses to continue, the Roosters and Dolphins are the likely contenders for his signature.

Cherry-Evans refrained from sharing his personal views on the contract situation on Sunday but acknowledged that the club needs to reflect deeply following the crushing defeat.

“There’s a lot we need to own and review regarding our performance,” Cherry-Evans remarked.

“Ultimately, if you fail to execute and lose the physical battle, facing a top-tier team means you can concede 40 points.

“It was a very disappointing day overall, especially considering how we played. We would have liked to show more pride in our performance, but they were outstanding, and that’s just footy; sometimes the results don’t go your way.”

The Sea Eagles are set to fly to Perth on Monday in preparation for their upcoming match against the Sharks, the inaugural encounter in Saturday’s double-header at Optus Stadium.