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Manly welcome Roosters to target DCE

Roar Guru
25th June, 2014
2

Manly have invited the Sydney Roosters to take a leaf out of the NSW playbook in Friday night’s NRL blockbuster and target Daly Cherry-Evans in a relentless 80-minute barrage.

The Sea Eagles halfback is nursing a knee injury to which the Blues showed no mercy in State of Origin II, but skipper Jamie Lyon insists Cherry-Evans doesn’t need babysitting.

NSW hooker Robbie Farah stalked Cherry-Evans like a shadow last Wednesday night and successfully put him on his backside nearly every time he passed or kicked – stifling the Maroons attack.

But Cherry-Evans has proven he’s not willing to wrap himself in cotton wool.

Against Canterbury before Origin II, the No.7 inspired a gutsy Manly win on one leg, and last week backing up from going to battle with the Blues, Cherry-Evans single-handedly put Cronulla to the sword.

Lyon welcomed Roosters snipers Boyd Cordner, Aiden Guerra and Jake Friend to target Cherry-Evans at their own peril in the grand final rematch.

“We’re not too worried about them attacking Cherry,” said Lyon.

“He’s not the biggest halfback running around, but he’s not the smallest. He can handle himself.

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“Every team wants to exploit the other team’s best players. Cherry is definitely one of our best players and everyone knows he’s got a couple of niggling injuries.

“But I think he’s shown how tough he is over the last couple of months to keep playing with injury. Getting up off the field and really putting in good performances.”

Cherry-Evans’ toughness over recent weeks has added to his reputation has arguably the best halfback in the game.

However, his struggles in the two Origin games have counted as a rare blemish against his meteoric rise.

In his debut year in 2011, he won the rookie of the year award and led Manly to a premiership.

However, against the Blues under tough circumstances this year, Cherry-Evans met his match.

But rather than drop his head, Lyon expects Cherry-Evans to go to another level.

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“He’s fine. He’s a confident kid. He bounces back and he did an exceptional job against the Sharks last week,” he said.

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