Phil Gould Urges Manly Leaders to ‘Remove This from the Spotlight’ Following Daly Cherry-Evans ‘Circus’ Turmoil

Phil Gould argues that Manly must address the ongoing speculation surrounding Daly Cherry-Evans’ contract, labelling the entire scenario a “circus.”

The Sea Eagles captain’s announcement of his departure during an episode of 100% Footy triggered a flurry of reactions and media coverage, prompting comments from Manly executives and various experts in the sport.

Prior to his announcement, there were reports that Cherry-Evans was pursuing a two-year contract; however, the captain clarified that he had informed Manly of his intention to leave back in December due to a lack of offers.

Cherry-Evans has since characterised the media narrative as a “smear campaign,” describing the past week as “nasty” and “ugly.”

Despite Cherry-Evans’ December declaration, Gould believes that Manly seemed unprepared for the fallout.

“It seems this caught parts of the media off-guard and certainly the club too, leading to an initial response aimed at damage control that has since evolved into crisis management,” he remarked while appearing on Nine’s 100% Footy.

“I think Manly needs to resolve this situation swiftly to remove it from the headlines.”

As Manly prepared to face the Eels, there was rampant speculation over whether the fans would express their disappointment towards him at Brookvale Oval.

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Contrary to expectations, Cherry-Evans was met with enthusiastic applause as the Sea Eagles secured a win.

Gould indicated that it is now up to the club’s leadership to manage the situation effectively.

“The impact this may have on the club is significant—such occurrences have the potential to either destabilise a team or, in the best-case scenario, unify the players and supporters,” he noted.

“From the looks of it, that’s exactly what transpired at Brookvale on Sunday, with fans rallying behind him, while the players performed admirably, and Cherry-Evans handled it professionally.”

“I believe they can navigate the football side of things effectively, but right now, regarding damage control and crisis management, Manly needs to extricate itself from media scrutiny.”

“They must refrain from engaging in the media narrative and allow the media to address their own issues, as this situation has spiralled into a circus when all Daly wanted was to clarify his position and move forward.”

“I think he may have underestimated the repercussions it would have on people. They simply need to accept the reality, acknowledge the loss, and focus on moving ahead, both for themselves and for Daly Cherry-Evans. The sooner they all come to terms with it, the better it will be.”

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