As Canterbury supremo Phil Gould and Gold Coast coach Des Hasler dodged questions around interest in the Manly halfback on Wednesday, Bennett was definitive in saying South Sydney would not try to sign Cherry-Evans.
Cherry-Evans returned to Manly training on Wednesday, for the first time since announcing on Monday that this season would be his 15th and final season with the Sea Eagles.
The halfback's management is yet to formally respond to a last-ditch two-year offer from Manly worth $1.4 million that was formally tabled Tuesday.
But any realistic hope at Brookvale of the halfback accepting that is gone, after Cherry-Evans said on national TV on Monday night he would reject the offer after making up his mind last December.
The Dolphins are one club known to be keen on the 36-year-old, while the Sydney Roosters and Canterbury loom as other potential landing spots.
St George Illawarra, Penrith and Wests Tigers have all ruled out making a play for the 36-year-old, with Bennett joining them in doing so at South Sydney on Wednesday.
Bennett did predict multiple clubs would shuffle their rosters to make a play for the Queensland No.7, but said Souths could not accommodate him as they continue negotiations with veteran five-eighth Cody Walker.
"We don't have money in the salary cap," Bennett, who had Cherry-Evans as his Queensland captain in 2020, said.
"If you haven't got a halfback and you're struggling a bit, of course a club will do whatever you can to get your hands on him. They don't come up too often like this.
"I'm sure wherever Daly goes, he'll be good for them as well.
"There'll be some club that will need a halfback and probably pretty close to being the top team, but they just haven't got the right player at halfback right now.
"He's virtually injury-free. Plays good football every week, so he's not ready for retirement, that's one place he's not going."
Bennett would not be drawn into commentary on Manly's handling of the situation, but warned the issue would be a distraction and not help the Sea Eagles' season.
The veteran coach also claimed the issues went well beyond the Sea Eagles, labelling it bad for the entire game.
Bennett has long been a proponent of trade windows, pointing to their success in the AFL and other sports overseas.
"This does nothing for the game. It does nothing for the club. It's wrong and I wish we'd fix it," Bennett said.
"You don't see this in Aussie rules, they are our major competitor.
"We've hit the self-destruct button four weeks into a football season that's already provided some great football.
"The whole focus is on what a couple of players or clubs have done. So, clubs have done whatever the case. It just shouldn't happen. It shouldn't be allowed to happen."
Bennett's comments came as Gould warned any club interested in Cherry-Evans would risk being in salary-cap limbo until the veteran decided if he wanted to play on.
Cherry-Evans would likely elevate the Bulldogs into title heavyweights, given what he would bring to their halves.
But when asked whether Canterbury were interested in Cherry-Evans, Gould dodged the question.
"He would fit in any club," Gould said on his Six Tackles with Gus podcast.
"He is an elite Origin class. One of the best playmakers in the game, one of the best playmakers in history. He has clearly got more football left in him."
Cherry-Evans' close confidant and former coach Hasler also said he would not "go down that rabbit warren" and promised to "straight bat" questions on Wednesday when asked if there was interest in the veteran.
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