A few things spring to mind when Daly Cherry-Evans thinks of completing the Kokoda Trail with his new Sydney Roosters teammates before Christmas.
There were practical jokers Victor Radley and Egan Butcher forever providing the comic relief.
Connor Watson being “the best-dressed man, ever, to complete the Kokoda”.
And the sound of the hapless Max McCathie randomly dry-reaching in the middle of the walking trail after being struck down by a nasty virus early in the trip.
Completing the 96km six-day journey through the Papua New Guinean highlands will spring to mind for Cherry-Evans this week as he plays in his first Roosters v St George Illawarra Anzac Day blockbuster.
Cherry-Evans has won a premiership, won Origin series, a World Cup, played in a World Club Challenge, and can now tick arguably the final thing off his league bucket list.
And the gruelling PNG trek will hold him in good stead for so many different reasons when he runs out to a packed Allianz Stadium.
“There were so many key messages that came from Kokoda,” Cherry-Evans told this masthead on Tuesday.
“On a personal level, you test yourself mentally and physically. Every day there is no other option but to keep moving forward.
“You’re in a group, and you’re all hurting at different stages. You might be sore and tired, but then someone else can have a bit more energy and start mucking around, and it suddenly lifts your spirits.
“You don’t have dark moments, but there are moments you get in your head and question yourself.
“I was lucky I did it with such a great group of fellas.”
Cherry-Evans praised Radley and Butcher for the camaraderie. He still giggles when recalling Watson stepping out in a pair of designer white shorts, only to become so tired, he continually fell over and muddied the new threads.
“He truly was the best-dressed man to ever walk Kokoda – none of us realised how hard it was going to be, and how dirty we would get, but Connor took everything in his stride,” Cherry-Evans said.
Just how Australian soldiers were able to push their way through the rugged trails during World War II was not lost on Cherry-Evans. He was keen to hear more stories about the soldiers this week, and any lessons he could incorporate into the clash with the Dragons.
Cherry-Evans lost count of the number of times he settled into the couch to watch one of the most celebrated club games of the season.
“One of the standout moments was when the Dragons fought back to win late one year [2012], when Mick Weyman and Ben Creagh were playing,” Cherry-Evans said.
“It was a really exciting game. Every game I’ve watched, the atmosphere always came through the television.
“To now be playing in one of these games, it’s going to be a really cool moment.”
Cherry-Evans, who spent 15 seasons at Manly before shifting to Bondi, made a point of asking his teammates about what to expect.
Prop Naufahu Whyte was happy to pass on his own experiences, and said his personal highlight was playing in his first Anzac game in 2023.
“I wasn’t meant to play, there was a late change, and ‘Robbo ’[coach Trent Robinson] told me Terrell May was out, and I was in,” Whyte said.
“I remember walking out, the parade, the national anthems, the trumpet [being played for The Last Post]. It’s not quite a grand final, but it must come close. I always mark this game in my calendar.
“My older brother, Desmond, is in the airforce back home in New Zealand. He actually played for the New Zealand Defence Forces against the Australian team before we played a couple of years ago. He’s a half. It was such a great day.”
Cherry-Evans said Whyte and a few of the others told him: “Form stands for nothing. You rock up to this game expecting it to be a really good game, a high-quality game, and one you will have to play for 80 minutes to win.”
The Roosters overcame a sluggish start to defeat Newcastle last Sunday. They trailed Cronulla 16-0 before they fought back to win, and defeated Manly, despite giving up a try in the opening 30 seconds.
Time will tell if Cherry-Evans only gets to experience the Anzac Day extravaganza once. He is 37, and has a player option for next season.
“We could play for 31 weeks if all goes well, we’re only into week seven, so there’s no point making a decision now,” Cherry-Evans said.
“When it becomes clearer, I’ll be as clear as I can publicly, so people stop asking me. Right now, there’s no point making a call.”
