Manly nice Mark Carroll has revealed a dressing room spat with “egocentric” Daly Cherry-Evans over how the halfback left the Sea Eagles.
The veteran No.7 went on 9’s 100% Footy early within the season to announce he would end up at Brookvale on the conclusion of this season.
He’s extensively anticipated to hitch the Roosters to complete his profession with a swansong marketing campaign subsequent 12 months.
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The Sea Eagles completed the season in tenth, just one win and share outdoors a finals berth.
In a column for The Nightly, Carroll claimed Manly can be enjoying finals if not for Cherry-Evans.
“Their roster was ok to win greater than 12 video games and end a lot increased than tenth. So why did not they?” he wrote.
Daly Cherry-Evans of the Sea Eagles seems on throughout the spherical 15 NRL match between Gold Coast Titans and Manly Sea Eagles at Cbus Tremendous Stadium, on June 13, 2025, in Gold Coast, Australia. (Picture by Chris Hyde/Getty Photos) Getty
“Now the mud has settled on their marketing campaign, I’m extra satisfied than ever that Daly Cherry-Evans’ momentous resolution to stroll away from the membership subsequent 12 months value them their season. And I informed him as a lot.”
Carroll – who performed 88 of his 202 first grade video games for Manly – then revealed he had a run-in with Cherry-Evans following a current recreation.
It was the results of an earlier column for The Nightly during which he criticised the halfback’s method of quitting the Sea Eagles.
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He says he went into Manly’s dressing sheds to talk with gamers Ethan Bullemor and Toff Sipley, however ended up in a stoush with the captain.
“Earlier than I may get to them, I noticed DCE staring daggers at me. What’s he so filthy about, I assumed to myself,” Carroll wrote.
“So I walked over to him and mentioned: ‘Congratulations on what you could have achieved right here and good luck wherever you go’.
Mark Carroll in motion for Manly throughout the 1993 season. Getty
“He responded: ‘Do you actually imply that?’, I shot again: ‘What do you imply by that?.
“He then informed me he’d learn my column in The Nightly the place I might criticised his resolution to stop the membership after three rounds of a brand new season, suggesting it will trigger a rift with teammates, wreck his legacy on the northern seashores and value his aspect a finals berth.
“He was additionally upset I might referred to as on him to retire from State of Origin soccer and to offer the maroon and whites his complete focus in his fifteenth and last 12 months.
“DCE thought my article was harsh and out of line. And he felt I used to be now contradicting myself by congratulating him.
“I informed him: ‘At the least you are studying my stuff and I do not again away from what I wrote. You are a legend of this membership and performed on your state and nation and I assumed it will be good should you put all of your power into serving to Manly make the eight. As an alternative, you come throughout as attempting to be some type of superhero and I really feel your resolution derailed the season. As for taking part in Origin, that backfired. You have been the captain and acquired punted’.
“He informed me he was OK with that call and I replied: ‘I actually would not be’.
“I then gave him a particular Spudd handshake – which has been identified to make eyes pop – and we went our separate methods.
“I really imagine Manly would-be enjoying finals footy subsequent week if not for his egocentric resolution to desert ship and the best way he went about it.
How one can go on a footy present – with no membership gear on – and blindside so many individuals with such a serious profession name is past me.
And whereas his teammates mentioned the suitable issues publicly, you may inform they have been hurting and indignant.