Departing Sydney Roosters star Brandon Smith drops a HUGE Daly Cherry-Evans revelation ahead of move to Souths
Speaking on 2GB's Wide World of Sports Radio on Thursday, Smith said Roosters officials haven't confirmed the deal publicly, but behind the scenes, it's all but done.
'I think Cherry-Evans has already been signed and delivered for a while now – everyone's just too afraid to admit it,' he said.
The revelation follows news that Smith and winger Dominic Young have both been told they're free to leave the club early.
Smith is expected to join arch-rivals South Sydney, while Young is likely headed back to Newcastle.
The Roosters are reportedly clearing salary cap space, with Smith openly suggesting his departure is to make room for Cherry-Evans.
Asked if his contract money was going to the Maroons skipper, Smith replied, 'I'm thinking it might be.'
He also questioned why the Roosters weren't investing in youth instead.
'I was hoping [the money] would go towards some of the younger players that are coming through,' he said.
'If they don't snap them up now, they probably won't be able to keep them.'
Smith specifically named Naufahu Whyte and Blake Steep as players deserving of pay rises at season's end.
The 28-year-old, currently recovering from a knee injury, admitted he'd already played his last game in the red, white, and blue.
'It's not that I feel unloved, I feel unwanted, which is not quite the same,' he told 2GB.
He said the Roosters never properly explained why they wanted him out.
'They're just excited to get rid of me, and get some money saved up for maybe this year, maybe next year.'
Smith described learning of his exit through the media as 'blindsiding.'
'I'm blindsided by the fact the news came out through the media before I found out about it,' he told Daily Mail Australia.
'Journos knew more than I did in this situation.'
He added that he was 'a bit hungover' and 'very emotional' when he heard the news, having just attended a friend's wedding.
'I was in the car with my girlfriend. I didn't really know what was going on,' he said.
'The celebrations went on long enough to leave me very emotional when I heard the news.'
Smith said Wayne Bennett was the first person to reach out after the news broke.
'I have no qualms with how the situation has panned out ... I get that it's a business,' he said.
Bennett later told media he didn't think Smith would be at full fitness until 2025.
But Smith disagreed, saying he was 'about eight weeks away' from being fully recovered.
'I can run at training, I can sidestep, I can do whatever you want,' he said.
'Now it's just making sure the patellar tendon is mature enough to handle a full 80-minute game.'
The Roosters, meanwhile, have begun preparing for Cherry-Evans' arrival.
Veteran playmaker Sam Walker is expected to shift to five-eighth, with DCE taking the No. 7 jersey.
Walker welcomed the idea, saying, 'He's done it all in the game and we'd love to have him at the Roosters, that's for sure.'
Coach Trent Robinson has insisted Sandon Smith still has a future at the club despite rumours his agent is shopping him to rivals.
Sandon Smith starred in the Anzac Day clash against the Dragons, but may be pushed out if DCE arrives.
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