MARK ‘SPUDD’ CARROLL: Daly Cherry-Evans’ exit from Manly Sea Eagles will tarnish his NRL legacy

To boo or not to boo?

That’s the question being asked in Australian sporting circles over the past couple of weeks.

We’ve seen vision of Melbourne and Carlton AFL fans absolutely giving it to their teams following losses in the opening rounds.

On Sunday in the NRL, we waited to see whether sections of the Brookvale Oval crowd gave skipper Daly Cherry-Evans a hard time following his decision to quit the club at the end of the year.

All week, Manly supporters were polarised over how they should react to DCE.

Half blamed the club for allowing the captain to walk away while the other 50 per cent were dirty he’s jumping ship.

In the end, any dissenting voices were drowned out by the pro-Manly crowd as they easily put Parramatta to the sword.

But had the boo boys made their feelings known, I would have had absolutely no problem with it.

I wrote here last week that Cherry-Evans was still playing good football at 36 and was deserving of a new two-year deal.

No sooner had The Nightly published on my column, than the NRL world exploded with news DCE wanted out of Manly.

He said the club had not come forward with an offer but Sea Eagles management counter-claimed that they were under the impression the captain had no intention of playing on after 2025.

A two-year deal worth $1.5m was quickly put in front of him and just as quickly dismissed.

As a former Manly player, I am really disappointed in Cherry-Evans’ actions.

I know a lot of ex-Manly players feel the same way but are unwilling – or unable – to truly voice their opinion.

And I’d be surprised if a number of his current teammates aren’t filthy with him, although they are toeing the line and saying the right things publicly.

I know I’d have the shits if I were them.

I feel DCE has put the club in a horrible position and the flak being directed at chairman Scott Penn and Tony Mestrov is a little misdirected and unwarranted.

Sure, things could have been handled better and the club has acknowledged that.

My old coach Bob Fulton helped set up the deal that kept Cherry-Evans at Manly in 2015 (worth a cool $10 million, just quietly) when he had one foot on the plane to the Gold Coast.

The eight-year deal was unprecedented for the time and, to be fair, DCE has mostly delivered, albeit without winning us another premiership.

So to turn around and announce on live television you’re quitting the club that has given you a shitload of money and set you up for life is piss poor form in my book.

To do it without any sponsors’ backdrop or club apparel on was another sign of detachment.

I thought the whole situation was unpleasant and uncalled for, if I’m being completely honest.

And I think it will tarnish his legacy on the northern beaches.

It’s completely blindsided the club, leaving them bereft of a genuine halfback option for next year.

We let a good one go in Jamie Humphreys and there are some good kids coming through, but you don’t replace a 300-plus game playmaker, club captain, Kangaroos international and Origin rep overnight.

I’m not sure what’s going on in Daly’s head but I wish him all the best with his next career move.

But I’ve got to say, some of the love I and others had for him has evaporated.

AND DON’T GET ME STARTED

I predicted in my first column of the year that this year would be the first time in six seasons Penrith would not make the grand final.

I said I thought a five-peat of premierships would be one title too many and Melbourne would meet Cronulla in the 2025 decider.

While four rounds is admittedly a small sample size, I don’t think my call on the Panthers will be that wide of the mark.

They sit 1-3 but have time to get their act together.

But that once impenetrable defensive wall of theirs looks in need of Spakfilla.

Scoring points (102) hasn’t been a problem this year but conceding them (118) has.

They are haemorrhaging – on average – 25 points a game, whereas last year it sat around 16.

You don’t need to have gone to Year 12 to know that’s a massive difference and a stat - if the trend continues – that won’t have you playing football in early October.

Other teams are starting to believe they can go the distance with Ivan’s men.

The intimidation factor just isn’t there at the moment.

It will take one helluva of a response from the premiers if they are to mount a serious challenge from here.

From where I sit, it looks beyond them.