Daly Cherry-Evans may play his final NRL match
In Australia, Daly Cherry-Evans may play his final match in the National Rugby League (NRL) if his Sydney Roosters lose to Cronulla in Saturday's elimination match. After finishing in the NRL, the 37-year-old halfback is set to join Hull FC in the British Super League next year, ABC News Australia reports.
A chance to extend the season
A win over Cronulla would send the Roosters into a preliminary final against the Dolphins and preserve Cherry-Evans' chance to end his NRL career with another championship. He won his first title with Manly in 2011, becoming the first rookie halfback since 1978 to win a grand final.
If the Sydney Roosters win the championship, Cherry-Evans will surpass Lote Tuqiri's record for the longest gap between grand final victories by one season. The current campaign is the 15th season of his career in which he has played at least 20 matches.
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Role in the match against Cronulla
In the qualifying final against Penrith, Cherry-Evans again played at halfback due to Sam Walker's absence and handled the bulk of the team's kicking. Penrith took advantage of a seven-tackle set and went ahead through a one-point kick from Nathan Cleary.
Late in the match, Cherry-Evans missed a kick that could have levelled the score. At the same time, he has 31 career field goals, the most among players of the NRL era. He has converted seven of those kicks in golden-point extra time.
This season, Cherry-Evans has provided as many try assists as he did at the age of 25. Across 24 matches, he has averaged 51 metres with the ball per game and made five line breaks, while also recording the third-best tackle efficiency of his career. Against Cronulla, in Walker's absence, he is again expected to take on a key role in organising the Roosters' attack.
