Cronk zeroes in on DCE’s most likely clubs as theory over ‘clever’ Gus-Bulldogs ploy emerges

Cooper Cronk believes Daly Cherry-Evans won’t go to a club that doesn’t have a shot at breaking his title drought if he plays on with the Bulldogs floated as the best chance to sign him.

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Phil Gould has publicly said the Bulldogs are out of the race for DCE’s services, but apart from Manly they loom as Cherry-Evans’ best chance of winning a premiership.

Matty Johns asked Cronk to put himself in Cherry-Evans’ shoes and choose where he would go, given he faced a similar decision when he left the Storm for the Roosters in 2018.

“You’re Daly Cherry-Evans and you have got the Titans, the Dolphins, the Bulldogs and the Roosters,” Johns said on Matty and Cronk.

“Where does he go?”

“He’s staying here in Sydney because the Bulldogs and the Roosters are a chance of winning the competition,” Cronk replied.

Johns believes he would go to the Bulldogs because they are ready-made title threat with Cherry-Evans potentially the final missing piece of the puzzle.

“If I had all those options available, I’d go to the Bulldogs,” Johns said.

“That’s where I’d go. I think the Dogs are on the up. They’re looking good. I know it’s early in the season, but they’re four from four.

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Daly Cherry-Evans has been linked with the Roosters and Dolphins. Source: Getty Images

“They’re defending like a top four side. I think it’d be pretty obvious.”

Johns would not rule out Gould and the Bulldogs making a late play for Cherry-Evans, even after publicly denying their interest.

“If we sit there and there’s Dolphins to a certain extent Titans, but that would really surprise,” Johns said.

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“You have got the Roosters who I still think are the favourites and you have got the Bulldogs, who Gus has come out and said no, no, no, but Gus is very clever and he’s shrewd and there’s no way in the world he’s going to stand up and declare, mate we’re going for him. That just intensifies this whole process.”

Cronk is well placed to comment on Cherry-Evans’ predicament given he was set to be a one-club player at the Storm before the Roosters came calling in the final two years of his career.

“You were in a situation, Cooper you’re at the Melbourne Storm for a long, long time,” Johns said.

Phil Gould has denied the Bulldogs will make a play for Cherry-Evans. Source: News Corp Australia

“You’re going to be one club man. And then right at the back end, in your last couple of years, you chose to go somewhere else.”

Cronk believes his situation was based more around family than Cherry-Evans looking from the outside.

“I think my situation is a little bit different,” Cronk said.

“The reason for me to leave Melbourne was purely because of my family and future being in Sydney, so my decision was based around family first, and then football ended up being second.

“Where as I think Daly sort of said that financially and still wanting to play and compete, this is a guy that hasn’t played in a Grand Final since 2013.

“So I dare say his next decision will be based around that.”

The Roosters are favoured to sign Cherry-Evans, and Cronk revealed it is not an attractive option for older players to go to struggling teams.

“For me there was a couple of clubs involved, a few in the bottom eight, but without being rude, I didn’t want to go at 34 years of age and spend the majority of my time tackling,” Cronk said.

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“So the desire when a couple of teams in the top eight approached and I put it down to I found my base in Sydney.

“The Roosters were cherry ripe for the picking. They had played in three or four preliminary finals in the lead up and didn’t need a halfback to set up more tries or score more tries.

“They needed someone who they could rely on and come up with good decisions at the right time, so it all fixed up.

“But I was a couple of weeks away from retiring until the Roosters came in very, very late. It just ticked all the boxes for me.”

Cronk believes Cherry-Evans’ desire to win a title for the first time since his rookie season will be a key factor in his decision especially if Manly don’t win it all in 2025.

“If I was guessing about Cherry-Evans, he’s going to go to a club that’s going to be a chance to win the grand final,” Cronk said.

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“At 36 years of age hasn’t played one for 12 years, only won one in his first year of first grade.”

Some critics argue Cherry-Evans historically has valued financial incentives over winning, but Cronk believes that line of thinking is at odds with waiting so long to make a decision.

“We are only speculating here, but a guy at 36 years of age, he’s very considerate in the way he goes about it, very professional,” Cronk said.

“The longer he leaves this, the less opportunity for maximum money comes into play because people start signing.”

That could mean Cherry-Evans has already privately made a deal, but it also could mean all clubs are still a possibility if he plays on, including the Bulldogs.

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