Daly Cherry-Evans wins Manly's Best and Fairest Award for 2023

Author: Wayne Cousins
Timestamp: Tue 5 Sep 2023, 07:52 AM

Champion Manly Warringah Sea Eagles half-back and captain Daly Cherry-Evans has claimed the Club’s NRL Roy Bull 'Best and Fairest' Award for season 2023.

Cherry-Evans was presented with the top award honour by Coach Anthony Seibold at the 2023 Sea Eagles Presentation Night at the Manly Pacific on Monday.

It’s the third time Cherry-Evans has won the prestigious Roy Bull Best and Fairest Award after taking it home in 2017 and 2020.

Cherry-Evans joins Jake Trbojevic (2015, 2018, 2019) and Glenn Stewart (2007, 2008, 2011) as three-time winners of the Club’s Best and Fairest Award named after one of Manly’s early pioneers.

2023 Roy Bull Best and Fairest Award winner Daly Cherry-Evans with Coach Anthony Seibold ©NRL Photos

Roy Bull played 177 games at prop for Manly and became the Club’s first Australian player in 1949 when he played against New Zealand in the second Test. He played 25 Tests for Australia and 26 games for NSW

Cherry-Evans also made it a clean sweep on the night, taking home the NRL Players’ Player award and the Gordon Willoughby Medallion for Best Player as voted by Manly Members.

He has now won the Gordon Willoughby Medallion a record four times after claiming the award in 2013, 2020 and 2022.

For Cherry-Evans, the Roy Bull Best and Fairest Award caps off another brilliant year for the highly respected number seven who became just the second player to reach 300 games for Manly behind the great Cliff Lyons (309). He is now five games away from breaking Lyons’ record.

In 22 games this season, Cherry-Evans had 18 try assists, 19 line break assists, scored nine tries and kicked 20 goals. He also ran for 1947 metres at an average of 88 metres per game in another superb show of leadership.

Well deserved....Daly Cherry-Evans was a popular winner of the Roy Bull Best and Fairest Award for 2023 ©NRL Photos

Several other awards were presented on the night. The ‘Menzies Medal’ for the Play of the Year was won by Josh Aloiai and Haumole Olakau’atu for their bone crunching hit on Melbourne centre Justin Olam at 4 Pines Park in round seven.

Outside back Reuben Garrick won the Club’s NRL Leading Point Scorer Award for the fifth consecutive year. Garrick recorded 174 points through 12 tries and 63 goals in 21 games.

Winger Jason Saab Garrick took home the Club’s NRL Leading Try Scorer award with 14 tries after finishing two ahead of Garrick.

Dean Matterson took out the Ken Arthurson Rising Star Award after playing seven games following his NRL debut against the Nth Qld Cowboys at 4 Pines Park in round 20.

Jake Trbojevic won the inaugural Manly Mentality award given to the player who displays the effort parts of the game - the actions that don’t require talent but rather making the choice to turn up for your team-mate.

The Doug Daley Club Person of the Year Award was presented to hard working and respected General Manager of Football, John Bonasera.

Lachlan Croker won the NRL Club Wellbeing and Education Award for his fine work as Manly’s Education ambassador. Croker sits on the Club’s Wellbeing committee and is proactive in supporting programs and assisting in the presentation of Wellbeing & Education workshops to junior grade players.

Mateship.. (l-r) Haumole Olakauátu, Josh Aloiai, Lachlan Croker, Daly Cherry-Evans, Reuben Garrick and Jason Saab with their awards ©NRL Photos

On the NSW Cup front for the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles, Dean Matterson won the Bob Batty Best and Fairest Award while prolific tryscorer Clayton Faulalo (29 tries) won the Players’ Player Award.

The Jersey Flegg Russ Bull Bet and Fairest Award was taken out by hard working lock Caleb Navale with goal-kicking utility Jamie Humphreys winning the Players’ Player Award.

Exciting young Harold Matthews full-back Reilly Caswell won the NSWRL Jake Trbojevic Rising Star award. The award is Manly’s Pathways award with players from Harold Matthews Cup, SG Ball Cup, and Jersey Flegg Cup eligible.