Manly veteran Daly Cherry-Evans has opened up on the ups and downs of a 15-year NRL career that have laid the foundation for Saturday's 350-game milestone.
The halfback will become just the fifth player to join the elite club when he runs out for Saturday's clash with the Dolphins at 4 Pines Park.
Cherry-Evans has been a polarising figure through much of his career and has endured plenty of highs and lows along the way.
Now as a new milestone awaits, the 36-year-old has outlined his pride at the way he has navigated the on-field and off-field challenges to be considered among the sport's greats.
Daly Cherry-Evans stands up yet again
"It's more than a childhood dream," Cherry-Evans said. "You start off just wanting one and then you persist and get a taste of it. Then you get more ambitious and along the way I dreamt to play as many games as Cliff Lyons and Steve Menzies, the legends of this club.
"Along the way I was inspired by the people who have come before me and now that I'm here myself it's a little bit of a pinch myself moment. I'm proud of the journey, proud of the ups and downs and everything that's come with it.
"The other part of it is the joy it's brought my friends and family and they've ridden the wave as well. Sometimes it hasn't been great but they've also been there for the great moments."
Cherry-Evans will become the fifth person to play 350 NRL games, with Broncos veteran Ben hunt to join him in the group on Sunday afternoon.
Cameron Smith, Cooper Cronk, Darren Lockyer and Terry Lamb are the only others to reach the milestone.
The Manly halfback has spent 15 years at the Sea Eagles, winning a premiership in his debut season in 2011 and enjoying plenty of representative success along the way.
The former Queensland captain, Cherry-Evans became the oldest person to play State of Origin earlier this year, while he also won two World Cups with the Kangaroos.
Throughout that time he has been an integral piece of the Sea Eagles on and off the field.
While Cherry-Evans is departing at the end of the season, Manly CEO Tony Mestrov said the skipper will forever be remembered alongside the club's legends.
A commanding performance from Cherry-Evans
"There's no player who's played this many games for the club," Mestrov told 94ddz.com. "Considering the history of this club, that no player has ever done that is a huge milestone.
"It's testament to Daly's endurance. His dedication and his professionalism in maintaining his body has been exceptional. I haven't seen a person put in the extra time and effort at training like he does.
"He has been a leader for the club for a long time and the mark he's left on the playing field can't be measured. He won a premiership, he's been at the top of his game for so long. The longevity to play the game at the highest level for this long is unsurpassed.
"It's an important game this weekend and it will be a special day for Daly and the club."
Match: Sea Eagles v Dolphins
Round 25 -
home Team
Sea Eagles
10th Position
away Team
Dolphins
9th Position
Venue: 4 Pines Park, Sydney
Manly's season started with plenty of promise, the squad poised to build on last year's semi-final exit in Anthony Seibold's third year in charge.
Injuries, however, have contributed to an up and down year and four-straight losses have left the Sea Eagles' facing an uphill battle to play finals.
Manly must win their last three games and hope other results go their way to finish inside the eight and extend Cherry-Evans' time in maroon and white.
The more likely scenario will see the halfback say farewell to the Northern Beaches faithful in a Round 27 clash with the Warriors at 4 Pines Park.
While the end is rapidly approaching, Cherry-Evans is determined to enjoy this week's milestone before he starts packing up his locker.
Daly Cherry-Evans' player of the match performance
"Personally it will be hard for me when the time comes but I feel like I'm pretty clear on separating the two," Cherry-Evans said. "This weekend is a great way for me to celebrate the milestone.
"A farewell as such, there's an opportunity for that in the next couple of weeks, but not this weekend. That's how I've framed it. This week's not a farewell, this week's more of a celebration of the milestone. Then we can all laugh and cry on the hill together in the last round of the year."
Cherry-Evans shocked the rugby league world when he announced in March that 2025 would be his last year at the Sea Eagles.
The halfback continues to deflect questions about his future but has been widely linked to the Roosters for next season.
A two-year deal would give Cherry-Evans the chance to chase 400 games in the NRL and the veteran is open to the idea of joining Cameron Smith in the elite group.
"At the moment is does seem like it's so far away but deep down I had the same feeling at 300," Cherry-Evans said. "I thought [350] looks so far away but before you know it, you keep persisting and you're here again.
"I'll never say never on those things, but the reality is I actually don't know how long I'm going to keep playing for. It would be crazy for me to think any more than just year to year. If I was to get there, a lot of things would have to go right.
"It's pretty ambitious isn't it? For right now I'm just going to enjoy 350 and see where that takes me."
