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Shades of Cronk as Cherry-Evans settles in at Roosters
Jasper Bruce, AAP • January 20th, 2026 1:44 pm
Daly Cherry-Evans | Photo: AAP
James Tedesco sees a bit of Cooper Cronk in Daly Cherry-Evans as the veteran halfback aims to make a similar impact after his own bombshell move to the Sydney Roosters.
At 8am on Tuesday, the Roosters descended on Bondi Beach for a morning of touch footy and photos with fans, five weeks after Australia's worst terror attack at the famous tourist site.
The Tricolours had last month visited Bondi and paid tribute to victims of the massacre, which took place six kilometres from their Moore Park headquarters.
"Bondi is the heart of our club, really," Tedesco said.
"We've spent a lot of time down here as a group and as a club. It's important for us to really get around this community."
Prized off-season signing Cherry-Evans was in the thick of the action during Tuesday's beach visit.
Even captain Tedesco has taken time adjusting to the sight of Cherry-Evans in Roosters colours after the 36-year-old's club record 352 games for Manly.
"It feels normal now but at the start it was a bit weird, a bit different," he said.
"Obviously he's been at Manly his whole career. It took a bit of getting used to."
Cooper Cronk is chaired off following the Roosters' 2019 grand final win over Canberra | Photo: AAP
In acclimatising to his new firm this pre-season, Cherry-Evans has shown shades of Cronk.
Like Cherry-Evans, ex-Melbourne playmaker Cronk joined the Roosters in the twilight of his career, having become synonymous with his first club.
Both are renowned analysts of the game with leadership capabilities and precise kicking games.
"(There are) similarities in terms of their leadership, their experience, their communication and their clarity in the way they talk to the team," Tedesco said.
Cronk would go on to inspire the Roosters to the 2018 and 2019 premierships, famously playing the first of those grand final triumphs with a fractured scapula.
Cherry-Evans and NSW hooker Reece Robson's arrivals this off-season appear to have primed the Roosters for a run at their first premiership since.
Tedesco acknowledged the Cronk comparisons would keep coming for Cherry-Evans as the Roosters aimed to improve on a week-one finals exit in 2025.
"Everyone's still going to compare to that but it's a new team, it's a new environment, it's a new time of year. There's a lot of things that go into that," he said.
"He brings a lot of similarities (to Cronk) but he obviously brings a lot of different aspects and different skills."
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Like Cronk did, Cherry-Evans is helping Tedesco improve - a frightening prospect following the fullback's Dally M Medal-winning 2025 season.
"Having (Cherry-Evans) come into the team takes a lot of pressure off me as well, I'm not the main voice," he said.
The biggest loser from the Cherry-Evans move appeared to have been local product Hugo Savala, who relinquishes his halfback jersey despite a great rookie season.
Tedesco insisted there was "no tension at all" as Savala spent pre-season training in a variety positions.
Savala came through juniors as a No.7 but a growth spurt later in his development has suited him to the outside backs or potentially back row.
"I know he's going to play a lot of footy this year in whatever position we need him to," Tedesco said.
Tuesday's Bondi visit came after reports winger Mark Nawaqanitawase had signed a rich deal to play rugby union in Japan from 2027.
The ex-Wallaby announced his exit since shortly after a resplendent 2025 season that yielded Dally M Winger of the Year honours.
Tedesco said no one would underestimate Nawaqanitawase in what he hoped was not the winger's final season with the Roosters.
"Teams are probably going to be more aware of him now, he was probably a bit more unknown last year," Tedesco said.
"He'd always be welcome back here, he loves the area and he loves the club."
