How Do I Talk to My Class About This? Daly Cherry-Evans and the Art of the Big Change

By Mia Torres

Look, I'll be honest with you: when I first saw this story trending, I thought, "Really? We're doing this?" But then Monday rolled around, and three of my Year 2s were in tears at morning circle because DCE "betrayed Manly," and I realized—oh, we're absolutely doing this.

So here we are, friend. Let's talk about how to help your sports-loving students process Daly Cherry-Evans leaving Manly Sea Eagles after 15 seasons to join the Sydney Roosters. And yes, I'm aware this sounds ridiculous when typed out. But if there's one thing I've learned in Stage 1, it's that children will bring you their whole hearts over the things that matter to them—and sometimes that thing is a 36-year-old halfback in a new jersey.

What Actually Happened?

First, the facts (because you know a six-year-old will quiz you): Cherry-Evans played 352 games for Manly over 15 seasons. That's longer than most of our students have been alive. He signed with the Roosters just two weeks before announcing it publicly, and he described feeling "very uncomfortable being in another club's colours" but was "satisfied with the decision".

No drama. No falling out. Just a grown man deciding he wanted to try something new before his career ended. Wild concept, I know.

Why This Matters (And Why It's Actually Perfect)

Here's the gift this story gives us: it's a masterclass in talking about change, loyalty, and growth—wrapped in something students actually care about. It's uncomfortable enough to be real, but safe enough to explore. Nobody got hurt. Nobody did anything wrong. And Cherry-Evans himself said "lifetime friends will be lifetime friends" and he's "proud of my career at Manly".

This is the good stuff, teacher. This is how we teach emotional literacy when the stakes are blessedly low.

Curriculum connection: This conversation sits beautifully within PDHPE outcomes PD1-9 (communicates ways to be caring, inclusive and respectful of others) and PD2-9 (describes the influence of emotions, people and places on personal wellbeing). We're helping students develop empathy for choices they don't understand while building their emotional vocabulary—which is exactly what we should be doing.

What to Say (Age by Age)

For your K-2 friends:

"DCE played for Manly for a really, really long time—since before you were born! But now he's decided to try playing for a different team. Sometimes grown-ups want to try something new, even when they love where they are. It's a bit like when you moved from Kindy to Year 1—it felt strange at first, but you could still love your old classroom and be excited about your new one."

For your 3-4 crew:

"After 15 years at Manly, Daly Cherry-Evans decided he wanted a new challenge. He's 36, which means he doesn't have many playing years left, and he wanted to see what it would be like to be part of a different team before he retires. He said it felt uncomfortable and strange—but also right. Have you ever made a choice that felt scary and exciting at the same time?"

For your 5-6 students:

"Cherry-Evans made a professional decision about his career. Some media stories suggested there were problems at Manly, but he said he believes 'you guys got it wrong.' This is a great example of how headlines can be more dramatic than reality. He's chasing personal growth at 36—which shows us it's never too late to challenge yourself."

Curriculum connection: These scaffolded conversations support English outcomes EN1-1A, EN2-1A, and EN3-1A—helping students communicate effectively across contexts while developing increasingly sophisticated language for expressing feelings and analyzing information critically.

The Language They Need

When students bring this up (and oh, they will), here are some ready-to-use responses:

"But he left them!"
"He did. And that must feel surprising, especially after so long. But leaving doesn't mean he stopped caring. He can still be proud of his time at Manly and excited about trying something new."

"Is he allowed to do that?"
"Yes, when players' contracts end, they can choose to sign with a new team. It's part of how professional sports work. Players make choices about what's best for them, just like teachers sometimes move to new schools."

"Did something bad happen?"
"Some people thought that, but DCE said he doesn't think that's true. He said the media 'got it wrong.'" Sometimes newspapers make things sound more dramatic than they really are. This was just a personal choice about his career."

Curriculum connection: This directly addresses Critical and Creative Thinking capabilities—teaching students to distinguish between media narratives and factual information, and to question how headlines create drama versus understanding nuanced reality.

What Students Are Really Asking

When a seven-year-old says "Why would he leave?" they're often really asking: Can people you trust just... leave? And that's the conversation worth having.

"People can love something and still decide to try something different. Your family still loves your old house even though you moved. You still love your prep teacher even though you're in Year 3 now. Love doesn't end when things change."

Curriculum connection: This supports PD1-10 (demonstrates self-awareness and ways to contribute to group and community) and PD2-10 (demonstrates a willingness to contribute to groups and communities). We're helping students understand that communities and relationships can endure through change—a foundational concept for their social development.

The Feelings Beneath the Footy

Watch for students who seem extra worried about this. Sometimes sports loyalty talk is actually attachment anxiety in a Sea Eagles jersey. If a child seems particularly distressed, you might say:

"I notice this story is bringing up some big feelings for you. Is there something else you're worried about when you think about people leaving?"

Nine times out of ten, they just really love DCE. But that tenth time? That's a child processing divorce, or a friend who moved away, or their own upcoming transition to a new school. Sports are safe practice grounds for bigger emotions.

Curriculum connection: This draws on Personal and Social Capability—specifically self-awareness (recognizing and naming emotions) and self-management (developing resilience and adaptability). We're creating emotionally safe spaces for students to explore complex feelings through a low-stakes topic.

Your Permission Slip

You do not need to know anything about rugby league to handle this conversation. You don't need to have an opinion about the Roosters' salary cap or Manly's rebuild. You just need to know how to talk about change.

And here's your script for the inevitable "Miss, who do you go for?" question:

"I think all the teams have talented players, and I'm more interested in watching people work together and challenge themselves. But I love hearing about who you support and why it matters to you."

Neutral. Warm. Keeps you out of the crossfire when two six-year-olds start debating recruitment strategies.

The Actual Teaching Moment

Cherry-Evans said he felt "uncomfortable" but was pursuing "personal growth". That's the headline for your classroom poster right there: "Growth Can Feel Uncomfortable—And That's Okay."

Use this story to talk about:

• Times when doing something new felt scary
• How we can feel two opposite feelings at once (sad and excited)
• Why people might make choices others don't understand
• How we stay friends with people even when they make different choices than we would

This isn't about football. It's about being human.

Curriculum connection: Perfect for PD3-9 (describes strategies for managing challenging situations and seeking help). We're teaching students that discomfort is part of growth, that mixed emotions are normal, and that resilience comes from practicing these conversations in safe contexts.

When It Gets Messy

If students start arguing about whether DCE is a "traitor" (yes, I've heard this from an eight-year-old), redirect gently:

"I hear that some of you feel disappointed, and some feel excited. Both of those feelings make sense. But we're not going to use words like 'traitor' about real people making real decisions about their lives. Let's stick to 'I feel...' sentences instead."

Then pivot fast to something structured: "On your whiteboards, draw or write one time you felt nervous about trying something new."

Curriculum connection: This supports Social Awareness and Social Management within Personal and Social Capability—understanding different perspectives, practicing empathy, and communicating effectively about sensitive topics. You could even extend this into Drama (DRAES2.1) by having students role-play "difficult conversations" about change in pairs.

Your Takeaway

By Friday, this will have blown over and they'll be onto something else (probably arguing about who's faster, a cheetah or a peregrine falcon—it's the falcon, by the way, in a dive).

But you'll have used a news story to teach empathy, emotional vocabulary, and critical media literacy. You'll have shown them that adults feel uncertain too, that loyalty and change can coexist, and that people are more complex than headlines suggest.

And honestly? If we can teach all that through the medium of a 36-year-old man in a very tight jersey making a career move, we'll take it.

Welcome to teaching in 2025, friend. Where everything is a learning opportunity, even when it absolutely shouldn't be.

Quick Curriculum Reference Guide

Stage 1 (K–2):

• PDHPE: PD1-9, PD1-10
• English: EN1-1A

Stage 2 (3–4):

• PDHPE: PD2-9, PD2-10
• English: EN2-1A
• Drama: DRAES2.1

Stage 3 (5–6):

• PDHPE: PD3-9
• English: EN3-1A

All Stages:

• Personal and Social Capability (self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, social management)
• Critical and Creative Thinking (analyzing media, distinguishing fact from narrative)

Mia Torres teaches Stage 1 in Sydney and believes that if you can explain DCE's contract negotiations to a six-year-old, you can explain literally anything.

Picture: Jonathan Ng (news.com.au)