As it stands Cherry-Evans will become a free agent at the end of 2025.

Manly veteran Daly Cherry-Evans has admitted he would be comfortable if his career ended with his current contract, as the Sea Eagles captain prepares to enter his eighth finals series on Sunday against Canterbury. The Manly halfback is contracted until the end of 2025, but there is currently no deal on the table beyond next year.

Cherry-Evans is currently in pursuit of a second NRL premiership at the Sea Eagles after his first came as a rookie in 2011. But win or lose, big decisions are ahead for the Queensland State of Origin captain.

The 35-year-old is off contract at the end of 2025 and can be approached by rival clubs from November 1 this year. He signed a ‘lifetime’ eight-year deal at Manly in 2015 and then extended it further in 2022 to become one of the highest-paid halfbacks in the game.

However, his future beyond next year isn’t clear despite stating that he would like to play on for at least a few more seasons. The playmaker will be 37 by the time the 2026 season rolls around, an age that many of the NRL greats before him had already called time on their careers.

Cooper Cronk decided to hang up the boots at 35, while Andrew Johns announced his NRL retirement at 32. Johnathan Thurston pulled the pin at 35 and Darren Lockyer at 34, showing the incredible longevity of Manly’s most-capped player. And Cherry-Evans said he will sort out his NRL future in the off-season but ideally wants to play on for a few more years.

“It’s something I haven’t even stopped for a second to think about,” Cherry-Evans told AAP. “As the captain and being a bit older, my priorities are leading with the actions and making sure our focus is where it needs to be. And that’s finals footy.

“We’re in an off-season in four weeks and it will all get sorted then. But at the moment I don’t think there would be any rush to get anything done. If it all had to end next year for me I would be extremely grateful for the journey. I don’t think it will all end next year, but it’s just not something I have been worried about.”

Andrew Johns says Cherry-Evans can break NRL games record

If Cherry-Evans is to play on as suggested, Andrew Johns believes he could realistically break Cameron Smith’s all-time NRL games record. Johns says the Manly halfback could play until age 40, which could see him play more NRL games than anyone in history.

“He’s still got his speed. He’s getting better,” Johns said on Channel 9 earlier this season. “He has to play for another two or three years. He may play until he’s 40.”