Cooper Cronk criticized Daly Cherry-Evans for poor defense during Sea Eagles' loss to Canberra.
Cooper Cronk expressed strong criticism of Daly Cherry-Evans during a tough night for the Sea Eagles, who faced a 28-12 defeat against Canberra. This loss positions Manly at 10th on the NRL ladder, putting pressure on them to win all remaining matches to qualify for the finals.
Adding to their woes, the team will be without Jake Trbojevic due to his third concussion this season. The Sea Eagles looked to Cherry-Evans for a standout performance against the top-ranked Raiders.
However, Cherry-Evans's defensive performance fell short. After Manly initially led 6-0, Ethan Strange easily bypassed him to score an impressive solo try. Cronk criticized Cherry-Evans's defensive effort as "poor," noting that he failed to commit physically. He remarked, "Cherry-Evans got caught up on Hudson Young as the lead runner, that was a poor effort there. The No.1 rule against Strange is he has a strong left foot and will always try and beat you back inside."