Daly Cherry-Evans to remain with Manly after reneging on Titans deal

Daly Cherry-Evans wiil remain with the Manly Sea Eagles. Photo / Getty Images

Daly Cherry-Evans has reneged on his Gold Coast Titans deal and will stay with Manly after signing a "lifetime contract" with the Sea Eagles.

The deal is by far the most lucrative deal in the history of the NRL.

The Daily Telegraph is reporting that the deal is worth more than a $1 million a season which would be worth more than $10 million if he plays on till the age of other great halfbacks like Johnathan Thurston.

"As long as Daly is playing NRL football he'll be here at (Manly)," Sea Eagles CEO Joe Kelly said in announcing the Cherry-Evans signing on Wednesday afternoon.

Queensland and Australian playmaker Cherry-Evans had up until the end of round 13 next week to change his mind about joining the Titans.

"The opportunity to stay here and be a one-club player," said Cherry-Evans of the reason for his decision.

"In rugby league job security isn't something many people have.

"It's something I've been offered, and something I've been willing to take up."

Despite the months of unsettling speculation over his future, Cherry-Evans said his decision to renege on the Titans deal had only been made "very recently" and was "heavily based" around the happiness of his family.

"In the last 48 hours I think it's fair to say," he said.

"When all's said and done I've gone through a lot of pain for this, but I know in the long term it's beneficial to me and my family."

Cherry-Evans insisted he intended to honour his four-year multi-million contract with Gold Coast even after Manly signed his good friend, Titans captain Nate Myles.

"It's only since this offer was put on the table that it was made clear how important this club is to me and how important I am to them," he said.

He said he understood the Titans had every right to be angry over his change of heart and he was sorry but he'd done what was best for him and his family.

"This probably doesn't look very honourable," he said.

"But there's only one thing that could have changed the honour of my word and that's my family."

- AAP