โTraitor, traitor, traitor.โ
The hardcore Manly fans on the hill at Brookvale Oval were out for blood.
Daly Cherry-Evans, a 352-game Manly veteran, is a player these fans once worshipped every week.
Now they canโt stand the sight of him in Roosters colours, hurling relentless abuse on Thursday night โ not that Cherry-Evans claimed to hear much of it.
Dozens of middle fingers were raised in a defiant show of frustration. Not just anger at losing a Manly great, but the uncomfortable truth that they are now worse off without him.
Much of it was delivered with a grin, but there was a nasty bite to the chants and barbs.
Plenty isnโt fit for publication. Weโre talking every expletive under the sun.
One supporter even smuggled in a highly offensive banner.
โGo back to the eastern suburbs, we donโt want you here.โ
โCome over to this side of the ground.โ
That was the tame stuff.
And, one of rugby leagueโs more tired cliches, often reserved for the less imaginative: โHe canโt run without a head.โ
It was difficult to tell what was genuine anger and what was simply a group of intoxicated (mostly) blokes letting off some steam, eager to impress their mates.
A heavy downpour 90 minutes before kick-off briefly cleared the hill. A rain-marred match probably would have been Cherry-Evansโ perfect scenario.
But not much was going to stop the Manly faithful marching onto the hill and making their feelings known about his defection.
The booing was loud whenever Cherry-Evans went near the ball. Even during the warm-up at the southern end, the barbs came his way.
Roosters assistant and former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika ran the drills and would have sympathised with what the playmaker was feeling, having gone on to coach against Australia with Argentina.
Cherry-Evans smiled and took it all in good spirits, even tossing his training jersey to a Manly fan.
Before he had a meaningful touch โ and with one punter nearby putting a bet on his phone for Jake Trbojevic to be first try-scorer in the ultimate act of blind optimism โ most on the hill were drenched.
Not by rain, but by Japanese lager and alcoholic ginger beer.
When Tom Trbojevic streaked away after just 38 seconds, the hill erupted. Fans went feral, fuelled by endorphins and the prospect of a first win of the season.
Earlier, a blackout had zapped the big screen. By the time Trbojevic scored, it had flickered back to life, with necks craning for the replay.
The Brookvale hill can be a hazardous place when Manly are scoring points, with several supporters copping stray cans to the back of the head.
Any hopes of a resounding win were short-lived when Roosters winger Mark Nawaqanitawase bagged a double.
โBring back Geoff Toovey,โ one fan yelled, drawing a few chuckles. Itโs not quite time for an investigation, but itโs heading that way.
First, it was Cherry-Evans. Then coach Anthony Seibold became the target of fans as the Roosters skipped away to win 33-16, inflicting a third straight home defeat on Manly to start the season.
As Seibold noted post-match, he is only three games into a two-year extension, yet still faced questions about whether he retained the support of his superiors.
For all the booing and sledging โ Roosters coach Trent Robinson dismissed it as โa bit of funโ โ the mood on the hill, always the most accurate barometer, pointed to overwhelming discontent with Seiboldโs tenure.
With six minutes to go, a โSeibold outโ chant rang out. Another lippy fan took aim at Jason Saab, urging him to go back to reserve grade. It was quite the short memory, given he sparked the opening try with a break and set up Trbojevic.
In the dying minutes, a man in a red shirt climbed dangerously high onto the roof of the bar on the hill.
Whether it was boredom or a few too many beers, frustrated fans responded by launching cans in his direction.
There remains a flicker of hope for the Sea Eagles, however hard it may be to see now.
In 2021, Manly lost their first four games by an average of 30.5 points, before winning 16 of their next 20 to storm into the top four, eventually falling to South Sydney in the preliminary final.
The only issue is the architect of that run is now wearing Roosters colours, and thatโs proving mighty hard for many on the northern beaches to accept.
Tom Decent is the chief sports writer for The Sydney Morning Herald.Connect via X or email.
