Sea Eagles fly to defence of Daly

MANLY ace Tom Trbojevic has thrown his support behind embattled captain Daly Cherry-Evans and defended the team’s culture and unity in the wake of more damaging headlines and a form slump.

Three days after CherryEvans was fined $10,000 following a physical altercation with clubmate Jackson Hastings, the Sea Eagles are poised to impose fines on five more players for breaking curfew, but are not expected to name them.

It means Cherry-Evans and the banished Hastings stand to be the only players called out publicly about the weekend in Gladstone, where players are alleged to have visited a strip club after being told to return to their hotel.

The saga has some critics questioning the leadership credentials of Cherry-Evans, the playmaker the Sea Eagles staked their future on with a multimillion-dollar, long-term contract after he backflipped on a lucrative deal with Gold Coast.

“We love having (CherryEvans) as our leader and I love playing with him week in, week out,” Trbojevic said yesterday.

“(It’s been) a tough few weeks for him but we know we’ll get the best of him for the rest of the year.

“When he’s playing his best footy, we’re a very good footy side.”

Manly has lost three consecutive matches since its ill-fated road trip to Gladstone, culminating in a demoralising 44-10 loss to previously winless Parramatta last weekend.

Trbojevic was one of several players who denied yesterday that there was a split in the playing group, after reports some had messaged support to Hastings.

He also rejected suggestions that bullying in the form of practical jokes might have contributed to Hastings’ exile from the first-grade squad.

“We’re a very close footy team. There’s certainly no divide,” Trbojevic said.

“Everyone plays a practical joke here and there but saying that’s an issue, I think, is going way too far.”

Manly will look to get its season back on track when it hosts Newcastle on Friday night.

– AAP