NRL news: Roosters half 'shopped to rival clubs' as Daly Cherry-Evans' switch to Bondi gathers steam
The Sydney Roosters appear willing to allow the young playmaker to leave the NRL club.
Sandon Smith is reportedly being shopped to rival clubs by his agent in a key sign that Daly Cherry-Evans will end up at the Sydney Roosters. Cherry-Evans is leaving Manly at the end of the season, and rumours are rife that he's bound for Bondi.
The Roosters have already parted ways with Terrell May, Dom Young and Brandon Smith, and have also told veteran hooker Zach Dockar-Clay he's free to seek a deal with a rival club. And on Wednesday, leading reporter James Hooper claimed Sandon Smith's agent is also shopping him to other clubs.
Sandon Smith (far left) could leave the Roosters if Daly Cherry-Evans (R) joins. Image: Getty
Hooper wrote for Fox Sports: "The Chooks are cleaning house for when the Cherry-Evans deal is eventually rubber-stamped and announced."
ADVERTISEMENT
Sandon Smith has been somewhat of a revelation for the Roosters this year, and enjoyed the best game of his young career against the Dragons on Anzac Day. The five-eighth scored two tries and had a try assist as the Roosters walloped the Dragons 46-18.
Many experts tipped the Tricolours to be running near the bottom of the ladder in the early part of the season. But the form of Smith and a number of other unsung heroes has seen them start the year with a respectable 4-5 record to be 11th heading into Round 10.
Sandon Smith has been a revelation for the Roosters in 2025. (Photo by)
Daly Cherry-Evans move could force Sandon Smith out
But if Cherry-Evans is heading to the Roosters in 2026, it leaves little room for Smith to remain in first-grade. Halfback Sam Walker is due back from an ACL injury in just over a month, and will likely partner Smith in the halves for the rest of the season.
ADVERTISEMENT
But Cherry-Evans' potential arrival would force Smith out, and his best option would be a bench-utility role. Reece Robson will be the Roosters' hooker in 2026, meaning Connor Watson will likely play No.13.
RELATED:
Smith is contracted to the Roosters until the end of 2026, and reportedly rejected a contract extension at the start of 2025 worth $400,000 per season. The club has shown a willingness to allow players to move on early if they can secure their future elsewhere. If Smith can get a starting spot at a rival club, the Roosters would likely allow him to walk - just as they have done with May and Young.
However it won't go down well with Roosters fans, with many questioning why they'd allow a talented youngster to leave for only two years of Cherry-Evans. But with 23-year-old Hugo Savala on the books, he might be the succession plan.
If this is true and because of roosters wanting DCE, this could be one of the worst decisions from a club in a long time.
Allowing a young half who has proven himself at the top level to leave your club so you can sign a 49 year old halfback with 1-2 years left. https://t.co/2R2cwf3i91
— Kriprz (@kriprz) May 7, 2025
His manager is shopping him around. Rejected an extension offer. Happy to let him go if that is true
— Easts2026 (@Easts2024) May 7, 2025
Sam Walker would welcome Daly Cherry-Evans' arrival
Speaking in April, Roosters coach Trent Robinson insisted Smith had a future at the club. "It's been pretty clear, our future with Sandon, and the conversations we've had with him over the years," Robinson said of the 22-year-old.
ADVERTISEMENT
"He's our starting 6 and we're going to keep developing him. There's some really good signs that we like. We're just going to keep forging forward and keep backing him to develop his game."
Cherry-Evans' arrival would likely mean Walker moves from halfback to five-eighth, but he doesn't see a problem with it. Walker said he would welcome DCE 'with open arms' if the 36-year-old joins.
'He's done it all in the game and we'd love to have him at the Roosters, that's for sure,' Walker told the Sydney Morning Herald. 'You'd love to have someone of his calibre. I said the same thing when there was talk of Ben Hunt potentially coming here. Being a Queenslander, and having spent time with him in Origin camp, the way he carries himself, he's a professional. Daly would be welcomed here with open arms.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indianapolis Star
3 hours ago
- Indianapolis Star
New Pal catcher, valedictorian balances baseball with engineering future: 'Just trying to juggle everything'
New Palestine catcher Jackson Kamp watched the pain his grandmother, Debby Fisher, dealt with on a daily basis after undergoing multiple joint replacement surgeries. As a kid, Kamp wanted to study aerospace engineering and design airplanes, but finding a solution to his grandmother's pain sparked his interest in biomedical engineering. Kamp wants to design joint replacements, prosthetics and surgery robots, things that can really make a difference in people's lives. The senior is a dedicated student, valedictorian of his class with a 4.11 GPA. Before he solves the world's problems as an engineer, the Dragons (24-3) backstop will be tasked with slowing down the Guerin Catholic (18-12) offense during Saturday's Class 3A semistate semifinals. "Behind the plate, it definitely helps a lot," Kamp said of his intelligence. "It allows me to see things and study them. It can get me into trouble at the plate sometimes, though, starting to overthink things a little bit, but behind the plate, there's never enough time for that. It lets me make decisions quickly based on what I see. It makes it easy to see patterns. So, when I see the patterns, I know, oh, I need to do this." Balancing academics and athletics was not an easy task for Kamp. There were nights where the senior stayed up until 1 or 2 a.m., after games studying and finishing up homework. Kamp also had to sacrifice his social life to maintain his grades. "Just trying to juggle everything, it's definitely not easy," Kamp said. "My parents were always on me about using my time wisely, because I'm still a teenager and want to have fun with my friends and stuff, but they were like, 'if you want to accomplish this goal, you might have to give up something else.'" "He's probably one of the hardest workers I know," added senior pitcher Rigg Mahurin. "To be able to have his GPA and to be one of the better baseball players on the field, it just takes that much more work. ... He's usually one of the first ones out here, doesn't put his cleats on yet, just goes straight to setting the field up for practice. He's the last one off the field, last one to take reps. He's just that kid to stay after and just put the work in when he knows he needs it." Kamp and Mahurin have developed into a shutdown battery. Kamp relays the calls from coach Shawn Lyons to the pitching staff and the defense. Kamp caught Mahurin's nine-strikeout no-hitter against Cascade in the regional championship. Mahurin has not allowed an earned run over three postseason starts. For the season, Mahurin is 9-1 with a 1.38 ERA and 85 strikeouts over 60⅔ innings. Kamp's experience and ability to process the game keeps him in sync with his coach and pitchers. Lyons trusts his backstop to make the right signals based on what he's seeing from the dugout, and Kamp has the defensive ability to execute all the plays on the diamond. The Anderson commit has a .977 fielding percentage, with nine assists and just five errors in 216 chances. At the plate, Kamp is batting .311 with 19 runs scored, 26 RBIs, seven doubles, one triple and a team-high six home runs. "He's my quarterback for the defense," Lyons said of Kamp. "He'll make sure the pitcher and him are on the same page. He'll let me know, 'hey the umpire is really tight. Or he's giving a ball on the outside or the inside (of the plate).' We're always communicating. "Jackson has been with us since his freshman year. ... They understand our coaches. They understand where we're coming from, and they trust the process." Just two games from the state championship is a familiar place for the Dragons. In 2022-23, they lost in the semistate semifinals to Castle. Last season, New Pal lost in the semistate semis again, this time in extra innings to Class 4A runner-up Mooresville. There's a sting that comes from getting that close to the championship and coming up short. Failure is painful, but New Pal is hoping to build from the experience gained over the past two seasons. "The atmosphere is crazy," Kamp said of the semistate tournament. "So, if you've never been in it, it's surreal. Having that experience just lets you play instead of being all tight because you're like, 'oh, there's a lot of people in the stands right now.'" Follow IndyStar high school baseball Insider Akeem Glaspie on X at @THEAkeemGlaspie and get IndyStar's high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. Class 4A at South Bend Riley (Four Winds Field at Coveleski Stadium) Class 4A at Mooresville Class 3A at LaPorte Class 3A at Jasper Class 2A at Oak Hill Class 2A at Castle (at University of Evansville) Class A at Lafayette Jeff (Loeb Stadium)
USA Today
5 hours ago
- USA Today
Arthur Smith addresses play-calling drama involving ex-Steelers QB Russell Wilson
Arthur Smith addresses play-calling drama involving ex-Steelers QB Russell Wilson Russell Wilson left the Steelers for the Giants this offseason — but it didn't stop Arthur Smith from setting the record straight regarding his former QB. Back in February, insider Gerry Dulac reported that Smith prevented Wilson from changing plays at the line of scrimmage like he did against the Cincinnati Bengals, leading to a clash of minds. NFL Network reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala claimed that these reports were a ploy by Wilson's camp — but the Steelers offensive coordinator didn't take these allegations lying down. At Day 2 of mandatory minicamp's media availability, Smith downplayed the rumors as a "fantastical narrative" that any plays were being called at the line of scrimmage — and ultimately blamed the 2024 offensive failures on being "not good enough." One of the biggest issues with the Steelers scheme, both offensive and defensive, is the inability to adapt when the plays are too predictable — and Smith's comments don't instill confidence that it'll change in 2025. For up-to-date Steelers coverage, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Yahoo
Stephen A. Smith campaigns for Mark Jackson with Steve Kerr ‘piggyback' claim
The post Stephen A. Smith campaigns for Mark Jackson with Steve Kerr 'piggyback' claim appeared first on ClutchPoints. As there have been rumors around the head coaching vacancy of the New York Knicks, ESPN analyst and known fan of the team in Stephen A. Smith, gave his idea for somebody who should be considered. After the shocking news of the Knicks firing Tom Thibodeau, the team is now looking for a new voice to lead the team, with Mark Jackson being Smith's choice. Advertisement Jackson played in the NBA from 1987 to 2004, where he was drafted by New York and played there until 1992, and his only coaching stint was with the Golden State Warriors from 2011-2014. Smith would speak on 'First Take' about the time with the Warriors, where he spoke of him building the dynasty in the 2010s, which head coach Steve Kerr 'piggybacked off of that.' 'I'm gonna always mention the name Mark Jackson, because he's been away from the game for a decade as a coach,' Smith said. 'This man was responsible for building Golden State before Steve Kerr was brought in and took over and piggybacked off of that and ascended to four championships, no doubt. But Mark Jackson starred at Bishop Loughlin. Mark Jackson starred at St John's University, Mark Jackson was a rookie of the year playing for the New York Knicks, Mark Jackson was a preeminent voice on the NBA, and he knows and feels and vibes with New York.' Stephen A. Smith continues to hype up Mark Jackson for the Knicks job Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports While it has been rumored that the Knicks are also interested in Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, Smith would continue to make the case for Jackson. He would speak about Jackson being a native of New York and how he would be the voice for the team, taking shots at owner James Dolan and president Leon Rose, saying they 'hide' from the media. Advertisement 'He's a native, so a voice for the New York Knicks, where we ain't got to worry about hearing from James Dolan, who hides from us, or Leon Rose, the president, who hides from us. Got APBs out for their a**es,' Smith said. 'We ain't got to worry about somebody like that because you got somebody like Mark Jackson, but I understand that that's pretty much, I doubt that will happen. There is no one that can question the credentials of a Jason Kidd, but you certainly can't question the credentials of a Mike Malone because he's a champion.' It remains to be seen who will be the next head coach for the Knicks, but it will no doubt come with massive expectations. Related: Knicks' patient process to replace Tom Thibodeau shouldn't confuse fans Related: Stephen A. Smith lists Knicks as best trade options for Kevin Durant, Giannis
