LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
Manly coach Anthony Seibold firmly stated he has never considered removing Daly Cherry-Evans from the captaincy, despite rising criticism regarding the player's ongoing contract situation affecting the team's performance.
The Sea Eagles have faltered recently, losing three of their last four games, including a significant defeat to the Gold Coast Titans.
This slide in form has heightened scrutiny on both Cherry-Evans (DCE), who was excluded from Queensland's Origin team, and Seibold himself, as there are implications that he could be coaching for his job in the upcoming match against the Wests Tigers.
The narrative surrounding DCE has been particularly intense, exacerbated by speculation that he is set to join the Sydney Roosters next season.
This uncertainty has led to calls for him to clarify his future, with many believing that until he does, it will continue to cause distraction within the team.
However, Seibold highlighted that he and Cherry-Evans had a candid discussion with the team, which concluded that there was no valid reason to strip the 36-year-old of his captaincy.
"I don't see the need to change.
Chez is the leader.
I've said that publicly a number of times, so I'm not sure where that suggestion has come from," Seibold commented.
He further noted that Cherry-Evans expressed a desire to allow the club time to find a suitable replacement, mentioning that this intention was duly understood.
"Chez (Cherry-Evans) explained and summed it up really well.
He wanted to give the club plenty of time to find a replacement, which we were able to do - find a really high quality replacement (Jamal Fogarty) because Chez has been the No.7 here for such a long time...
and done a fabulous job," Seibold added.
Seibold emphasized that the focus remains on preparing for the Wests Tigers and dismissed notions of any negative influence from Cherry-Evans' situation.
He reiterated that the team's preparations and performance are his priority, indicating that the leadership remains steadfast in its current structure as they aim to turn their season around.