"For a long time I was a five-eighth wearing a No.7," Cherry-Evans explains ahead of Sunday's grand final against Newcastle.
"And right now, I'm probably a halfback wearing a No.6."
Cherry-Evans has a chance to do what few else have at Accor Stadium, and finish a marathon 379-game NRL career with a second premiership.
If the veteran half does help lead the Sydney Roosters to victory over the Knights, he will become the oldest premiership winner since North Sydney's George Green in 1922.
He will also overtake Lote Tuqiri as having the longest gap between titles, 15 years on since he won as a rookie at Manly.
To put into context how long it has been since Cherry-Evans and Kieran Foran's 2011 heroics, the average Sydney house then sold for around $500,000.
Unleaded petrol was still $1.30 a litre, bread went for about $1 a loaf, Julia Gillard was Australia's prime minister and the oldest player on the field was born in 1978.
Cherry-Evans was yet to go through a career headlined by long-time affinity with Manly and shock departure at the end of last year.
"If you look at anyone who's 22 years old and fast forward to them as a 37-year-old, things change," Cherry-Evans said.
"I'm a husband and a father now. I'm sure there are some mannerisms that have held true with my footy."
Those football mannerisms are evident.
Cherry-Evans has always had an ability to take the line on, running the ball down the short side from dummy-half and keep the defence guessing.
He has a killer kicking game evidenced by the most 40-20 kicks in NRL history and a near-unmatched ability to ice matches with the most golden-point winners.
But the Roosters No.6 does believe there is now more game awareness than the young kid who debuted against Melbourne way back in March 2011.
"I'm obviously more mature, so I have a better understanding of what the team needs," he said.
"I was very instinctive as a young player coming through the grades.
"I didn't have a lot of structure around me; not that it wasn't getting coached into me, but my style of play and personality was just playing what I see.
"I think over time I've become a halfback."
As the NRL's senior statesman, Cherry-Evans is also very aware of his own story.
Asked if he could retire with a win on Sunday rather than move to Hull, he asked if that question only came because of his 2015 backflip on the Gold Coast.
"Regardless of what happens. I'll be off next year," Cherry-Evans then insisted.
"So that's why the incentive to leave it all out there this weekend is so clear for me."
A victory would mean everything to a player who has won six State of Origin series and captained Australia.
Cherry-Evans' reasons for moving to the Roosters are numerous, even if some of his motivations for leaving Manly remain shrouded in mystery.
In the Roosters, Cherry-Evans had a club where he and his family could remain living in Manly.
He had a chance to work under a coach in Trent Robinson who could challenge him, and play alongside a fellow halfback in Sam Walker.
But there was also the lure of a premiership, with the Tricolours a club who expect to be playing in grand finals.
"A very big reason why I came here was the belief to give myself and this club a chance to win grand finals," Cherry-Evans said.
"It's as simple as that, it's a big reason why I play the game."
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