Cherry presser stirs speculation he may stay south

IT WAS the 52- second press conference which said little and left NRL fans in two states searching for closure.

Daly Cherry- Evans played with words – and used them carefully – yet failed to end talk he could renege on a multimillion- dollar deal with the Gold Coast to stay at Manly.

Cherry- Evans even asked Manly teammates not to comment about his future yesterday.

Yesterday’s Manly press conference gave Cherry- Evans the perfect opportunity to end the questions and appease Titans officials and fans.

Instead he walked into Manly’s Narrabeen headquarters, made a brief statement, criticised the press and then walked out after refusing to answer any questions.

“I would just like to start off by saying, to put everything to bed, there’s been no changes to my current contract situation,’’ Cherry- Evans said.

‘‘ I went through that process seven weeks ago now and there’s absolutely nothing to report and from what I can see there will be nothing to report.

“I understand speculation will continue until Round 13 ( when the Titans deal can be registered with the NRL) but from my end there’s nothing to report. I don’t think there will be anything to report for the rest of the season in regards to changes to my contract.

“The way I was treated over the weekend by some media outlets was extremely disappointing. I understand as a professional athlete the media have a right to me, but I don’t believe they have a right to my family’s privacy.

“The way they ( his family) were treated over the weekend was extremely disappointing. With that being said, I hope this puts it to bed and everyone can move on. Thank you.”

Asked if he would take any questions from the media, Cherry- Evans said: “No, not today. Thanks guys.”

Gold Coast chief executive Graham Annesley said Cherry- Evans’s comments were further proof the Titans deal would be honoured.

“I don’t know what more Daly can do to deny the story,” Annesley said.

Titans chair Rebecca Frizelle will call for the Round 13 rule to be axed at the NRL’s next chairman’s meeting.

“I have every confidence in Daly and that he’s coming, but this is all an unnecessary stress for Daly to be involved in this speculation,’’ Frizelle said.

Club teammates are unaware where Cherry- Evans will play next year.

“I don’t know too much about it to be honest but a contract doesn’t seem too much before Round 13 any more,” Manly fullback Brett Stewart said.

“Whatever the decision, I just hope it’s done fast and stuck to. It’s been up in the air for a while about both our halves. It seems to be ongoing.”

Centre Steve Matai added: “I don’t want to comment on it. He ( CherryEvans) said to us earlier for no one to comment on it. So I guess you’ll have to ask him that but I would like for him to stay. But that’s up to him.”