Manly’s $6.6 million Christmas gift: Daly Cherry-Evans and Kieran Foran
Dean Ritchie Exclusive
The Daily Telegraph
November 05, 2014 12:00AM
MANLY chairman Scott Penn wants to give concerned Sea Eagles fans a $6.6 million Christmas gift — Kieran Foran and Daly Cherry-Evans.
Penn has formally opened negotiations in the club’s desperate $2.2 million-a-season bid to retain the star halves.
And Penn told The Daily Telegraph he would be working 24/7 to have Foran and Cherry-Evans locked up long-term by Christmas.
Penn could become Manly’s Santa Claus.
Foran and Cherry-Evans, who look set to confront one-another in next weekend’s Four Nations final in Wellington, are preparing to be bombarded with offers throughout summer.
The Test pair come off contract together at the end of next season. Their overall deal could be as much as $6.6 million over three years.
Cherry-Evans has been linked to Brisbane and Parramatta, Foran to New Zealand Warriors and Canterbury.
The pair will attract around $1.1 million a season on the open market, Foran may even demand more.
Penn was upbeat about his club’s chances of keeping the pair and hoped to have the deal completed by the end of the year.
“We will be trying to lock them down by the end of the year,” Penn revealed.
“They are both in the Four Nations and it has been a long year so we are more than mindful that they need a break and a rest.
“We will be working with their management while they are off to lock them down, ideally, before the end of this year.
“The club has made a key decision in regards to recruitment and retention.
“These two players are the nucleus of our team moving forward. We want to build a team around them and we will be doing everything we can to retain them.”
Reminded of the expensive price tag, Penn said: “No question they are in the top echelon among the highest paid players in the game.
“We understand what market forces are going to do and we need to be competitive because other clubs will be very interested.”
Foran was the first Manly player this year to publicly step forward and admit there were “issues” at the club, which eventually led star players Glenn Stewart and Anthony Watmough leaving.
With Manly now under a controlling owner, one which Foran supports, the club’s chances of retaining their gun five-eighth have improved dramatically.
At this point, it seems likely that Brett Stewart and Steve Matai, both under contract, will remain at Brookvale, despite both discussing early releases.
Foran said he will shortly start focusing on his future.
He recently told the New Zealand media: “I’ve been able to put to the side all contract talk at the moment, early on next year I will start to assess my options and see where my future lies.”
Cherry-Evans has had a difficult season but no matter what is said or written, the bloke is a star player who Manly need to retain long-term.
His manager, Gavin Orr, told reporters recently his client is focused on the Four Nations.
“Once his representative commitments are over, that will be the time to start talking about his future,” Orr said.
