And as the 2026 season teeters on the edge of the latter after their 33-16 loss to the Roosters, the Manly way was turned on former club legend Daly Cherry-Evans for the first time.It was always going to be an emotional night as Manly's modern-day figurehead returned in enemy colours for the first time.Despite a furious storm hitting the ground an hour before kick-off, cutting power to parts of the oval and dumping heavy rain, the place was still heaving.Lightning could have struck the hill itself and it would still have failed to keep supporters away — they can only welcome back their former skipper for the first time once.The newly minted Rooster said all the right things during the lead-up, insisting the good memories overrode any potential bitterness.But there's no way to pretend a game 15 years and 352 appearances in the making is just another match Everyone knew the score and, if there was some true venom to be found, it was never in high supply.And why would it be? You would be hard-pressed to find a Manly fan who wanted Cherry-Evans gone in the first place.The saga of his departure was long and winding but it's clear the fallout has not followed the 37-year-old out the door