Manly make peace after Grand Final war
Columnist By Luke Doherty, 3 Oct 2011 Luke Doherty is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- Brett Stewart, David Gallop, Glenn Stewart, Manly Sea Eagles, NRL, NRL grand final, Rugby League
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Manly Sea Eagles Brett Stewart celebrates their win in the NRL Grand Final at ANZ Stadium in Sydney, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2011. Manly defeated the Warriors 24 - 10. (AAP Image/Dean Lewins)
So, the war is over. Glenn and Brett Stewart, both very publicly, decided to bury the hatchet with NRL chief executive David Gallop in the moments after last night’s NRL Grand Final.
When Glenn Stewart took to the stage to have the Clive Churchill medal placed around his neck he made his way along a long line of dignitaries before getting to Gallop.
The lock looked straight into his eye, shook his hand and gave Gallop’s right arm a pat as if to say ‘no hard feelings’. Gallop almost looked stunned.
Then it was Brett Stewart’s turn.
This was as close as the two men have got for years and this handshake was always going to provide a headline.
Stewart spent six seconds talking to Gallop who looked slightly shaken by what was unfolding.
Glenn Stewart made a point of talking about closure during the post match news conference saying it was time to move on and describing Manly’s win as the “final chapter” in the saga.
It quickly emerged that departing media manager Peter Peters asked the brothers to make peace with Gallop and they obliged.
“They made some promises to me during the week and they fulfilled those,” Peters said. ”I know what was said and I hope it’s all over.”
“They need to move on and get on with their lives.”
I and countless other journalists approached Brett Stewart in the dressing rooms after the game, but not surprisingly the fullback didn’t want to talk.
The rift between the two parties developed following Manly’s season launch in 2009. The NRL suspended Brett Stewart for having too much to drink at the function, but the Sea Eagles deny that was the case. They feel their star was treated unfairly and over the past 12-months have made a point of telling anyone who’ll listen.
Last night’s developments are significant no matter how sick you are of this story.
The only thing that slightly nags at you is this: Was it right to do it so openly or would a meeting behind closed doors been more appropriate?
It has taken some of the attention off the actual win and placed it on the relationship between the Stewart brothers and Gallop once again.
I hope the feud is over.
As I’ve said consistently on Sky News and The Roar over the past 12-months, if “moving on” is what everyone really wants, then it’s probably best no-one talks about it ever again.
That includes Manly.
You can follow Luke Doherty on Twitter @Luke_Doherty and on Sky News Australia.
- Explore:
- Brett Stewart, David Gallop, Glenn Stewart, Manly Sea Eagles, NRL, NRL grand final, Rugby League
October 3rd 2011 @ 7:55am
BennO said | October 3rd 2011 @ 7:55am | Report comment
To me a “war” and a “feud” implies both sides were fighting. This situation seemed more like two adolescents having a protracted tanty while dad looked on, slightly bemused, wondering when they would realise they were the only ones engaged in the saga.
October 3rd 2011 @ 9:17am
AGO74 said | October 3rd 2011 @ 9:17am | Report comment
Agree – and to be honest I’m not even convinced that Stewart Brothers did bury the hatchet on stage.
October 3rd 2011 @ 10:09am
League_coach101 said | October 3rd 2011 @ 10:09am | Report comment
I hope that this was a positive outcome from the game. I’m quite sure David Gallop wasn’t exactly losing any sleep over it. What worries me is that the Manly team mentality is built around the idea of ‘us vs them’ therefore it won’t be long until the next perceived ‘injustice’ towards Manly is used to motivate the team and the brothers Stewart are encouraged to hold a grudge again.
It may be a brilliant psychological technique for motivating the team but where does it leave the players after they leave the club – thinking the whole world is always against them?
October 4th 2011 @ 7:57am
Ken said | October 4th 2011 @ 7:57am | Report comment
Perfect description
October 3rd 2011 @ 8:04am
Mals said | October 3rd 2011 @ 8:04am | Report comment
Well done Glenn & Brett for making peace with Gallop. It was good Luke that this was done publicly so everyone could see it & know the feud is over. It did not distract from the win or celebrations at all, if anything it added to it.
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October 3rd 2011 @ 9:07am
Al from ctown said | October 3rd 2011 @ 9:07am | Report comment
Looks like the nrl and it’s refs finally let manly win to bury the hatchet.. Oh well if it takes “looking the other way” to dirty elbows and cheap shots in tackles to allow them to win and put all this crap behind them like the spoilt brats they are then so be it… Well played manly… You won this round… Now it’s the players threatening the club if they don’t get their way by having DES stay, they’ll leave… Lol ahh manly… I love that you don’t care that we hate you, cause that will never change… Well done warriors! You didn’t lose in my books yesterday… Instead league just died a little.
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October 3rd 2011 @ 10:17am
oikee said | October 3rd 2011 @ 10:17am | Report comment
You only have to look at the bigger clubs to see how their players are stripped from them every year to keep Mr Cap happy.
No wonder the game cant grow, when we seem to look after little clubs to weaken our powerhouses.
Backward thinking at it’s best.
October 3rd 2011 @ 10:59am
Midfielder said | October 3rd 2011 @ 10:59am | Report comment
Banana benders when allowed to leave the plantation for a while do say some strange things… maybe the top paddock at the plantation is missing a few roo’s…
October 3rd 2011 @ 11:05am
Rellum said | October 3rd 2011 @ 11:05am | Report comment
The salt water from the miserable beaches of the central coast does the same all the time
October 4th 2011 @ 12:04am
Galaxy Hop said | October 4th 2011 @ 12:04am | Report comment
Please, now I hate Manly–for no good reason–as much as the next bloke, but they were clear victors on Sunday. As far as cheap shots and elbows etc, there was niggle from both sides in this contact sport we enjoy. I can recall one of the Warriors being put on report for a swinging arm to a Manly gob for example. Let’s not get too partial, c’mon, nobody likes a sore loser.
October 4th 2011 @ 12:12am
apaway said | October 4th 2011 @ 12:12am | Report comment
If you truly believe that, Al, you should probably stop supporting the game altogether.
October 3rd 2011 @ 9:47am
Meesta Cool said | October 3rd 2011 @ 9:47am | Report comment
That is such good news. Stewart Brothers have forgiven and ‘moved on’. now, can we see Meesta Gallop ‘move on’ also, to anywhere but NRL..hehehe
October 3rd 2011 @ 10:00am
Todd Slater said | October 3rd 2011 @ 10:00am | Report comment
I can’t stand the Stewart brother. Glenn had a great game yesterday & got the win. Congratulations.
All the crap they have carried on with though is just that, crap. Peters is nothing more than a rampant ego & mouthpiece.
Gallop could have lanced this boil at the start of the season or for that matter when Brett Stewart was acquitted by making a phone call or meeting the brothers away from the media & admitting a mistake. It would have cost him nothing more than a coffee, & a bit of pride, all handled away from the media & with a bit of dignity. Instead we have had to endure an endless soap opera of crap, all in the name of what ?
October 3rd 2011 @ 2:55pm
Jimbo said | October 3rd 2011 @ 2:55pm | Report comment
Yeah, I agree. If Gallop just sat down with Stewart for a coffee I’m sure it would have been dealt with. That said, I would be quite certain that Des Hasler and to a lesser extent the Stewart brothers don’t believe what they are saying. My feeling was that the whole saga was purely a motivational tactic, and a pretty effective one at that.
October 3rd 2011 @ 10:20am
Hoy said | October 3rd 2011 @ 10:20am | Report comment
I saw it last night, and so wanted to know what was being said. I am not sure about Glenn and why he thinks there is a feud. Is it because of his brother getting suspended? Is it because he was suspended? He can hardly hold a candle on that one.
Brett went up there and spoke to Gallop for so long, and Gallop didn’t say anything, but the look on his face was pretty interesting. Was dying to know what he said…
October 3rd 2011 @ 10:23am
Razza said | October 3rd 2011 @ 10:23am | Report comment
Hey, Al from ctown.
“I LOVE MANLY”
October 3rd 2011 @ 10:32am
Razza said | October 3rd 2011 @ 10:32am | Report comment
I personally think that what was said to David Gallop by Glen Stewart had anything to do with burying the hachet, Gallop was the only one smiling or laughing, Stewart had a straight face and looked serious, so i think he may have made a smart comment that caught Gallop off guard and the only thing he could do was laugh out of embarrassment, i could be wrong.
But we will never know what was said between both the Stewarts and Gallop..
24 -10, That will do me.
October 3rd 2011 @ 3:37pm
Pete #205 said | October 3rd 2011 @ 3:37pm | Report comment
Yep, that’s what I thought as well. Gallop’s reaction didn’t match someone saying sorry or whatever, it matched someone hearing something like “I’ll never forget what you did to us”
October 3rd 2011 @ 11:12am
jamesb said | October 3rd 2011 @ 11:12am | Report comment
good game to watch
well done Manly on winning their 8th premiership. 1972, 1973, 1976, 1978, 1987, 1996, 2008, 2011.
Manly have at least won 1 premiership in each of the last 5 decades
Play of the day for me: Glenn Stewart grubbering 20 metres out from his own line to his manly winger and from there it set up Manlys second try inside the last minute of the first half.
Warriors, if they stick to it, they’ll soon win one sooner rather than later. They certainly have good young players coming through. Shaun Johnson looks like a very good halfback.
PS; regardless of what was said, it was at least good to see the stewart brothers shaking David Gallops hand.
October 3rd 2011 @ 12:37pm
roarr said | October 3rd 2011 @ 12:37pm | Report comment
” if “moving on” is what everyone really wants, then it’s probably best no-one talks about it ever again.”
So why write a story on it….?