There’s no axe to find for the Stewart brothers
Roar Rookie By Jonathan Healy, 4 Oct 2011 Jonathan Healy is a Roar Rookie
- Tagged:
- Brett Stewart, David Gallop, NRL, NRL grand final, Phil Gould, Rugby League
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Can we please stop applauding Brett and Glenn Stewart for their varying feats of mediocrity? Firstly, Brett Stewart is one of the best, if not the best, finishers in rugby league. He is helped by playing behind an excellent team but nonetheless he is a great try-scorer.
However, the plaudits he’s received for his supposed “burying the hatchet” moment with David Gallop on the Grand Final day are ridiculous.
Brett has ponced around with a chip on his shoulder for two years and for no apparent reason.
He was punished for acting like a drunken fool. He was not punished for the criminal charges laid against him. Those were charges on which he was later acquitted.
I’m also extremely sick of articles throughout the finals saying Brett was ‘doing it for his suspended brother’. Because we all know that NRL players only play well when their brother has been suspended.
At least Ray Warren has stopped banging on about him being a diabetic though.
Now, on to the Karl Pilkington look-a-like, Glenn Stewart. I don’t like Glenn Stewart (along with the vast majority of his teammates, fans, coaches and generally people who associate with him) but he is an excellent player.
The form he has showed this season – though not good enough for Dally M recognition (see “Dally M fallout not all positive”) – has been great.
However, he should have no axe to grind with Gallop either. The Courier Mail said something about his pat on Gallop’s arm on the stage being a way of saying ‘No hard feelings mate’.
I would like to call it bullsh** right here.
a) It was a completely innocuous hand shake, and b) Glenn was, if anything, treated a little leniently by the judiciary for his part in the Brooky Brawl. Brett, on the other hand, was treated ridiculously gently.
On top of that, Phil Gould is one of the greatest minds in the game of rugby league. In saying that, Gould’s comment that Glenn Stewart’s five-metre grubber for Michael Robertson just before half-time was ‘the best grand final play he’s ever seen’ was absolutely laughable – at least it would have been if it hadn’t raised such serious questions about Gus’ sanity.
It was a short grubber behind a rushing defensive line and Manu Vatuvei – the opposing winger – was twenty metres back, thus removing any danger of a mis-kick (this is all disregarding the blatant obstruction seconds later).
So, if you want to applaud Brett and Glenn Stewart for their play, go right ahead. But please, can everyone stop acting like the world owes them something?
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- Explore:
- Brett Stewart, David Gallop, NRL, NRL grand final, Phil Gould, Rugby League
October 4th 2011 @ 5:10am
Tim said | October 4th 2011 @ 5:10am | Report comment
Brett was punished because of the media fallout from the sexual assault charge, plain and simple. Numerous players are caught in alcohol-fuelled misdemeanours throughout the year and are not given 4 week bans by the NRL. Let’s put things in perspective – that is the same penalty that would be given out for a deliberate and dangerous act of on-field foul play. The only element that separated Stewart’s behaviour from the bulk of the other alcohol-fuelled incidents we hear about all year is the sexual assault allegation. It was the worst possible thing that the NRL could be faced with, considering Stewart was the face of the game, and they acted accordingly. The NRL is entitled to feel justified in its response – it has its reputation to protect, and the media was already savaging Manly for selecting Brett for round 1. Had the NRL done nothing, we’d have had a raft of media articles about the game’s tolerance of sexual assault.
Brett, too, has the right to feel aggrieved. In the end, he was punished because the media decided he was guilty, without the benefit of a trial. His anger is merely misdirected. Gallop did the only thing he could do under the circumstances.
As for Glenn, his brother would be reason enough to feel aggrieved. Family supports each other; I’d want nothing to do with anyone who my brother felt that way about.
October 4th 2011 @ 8:14am
mushi said | October 4th 2011 @ 8:14am | Report comment
So you think the suspension for sexual assult would be 4 to 6 weeks?
The suspension was perhaps a little long but that was becuase the NRL gave Manly a chance to self regualte and they refused. Manly brought it on themselves and then blamed everyone else as per page one of their hand book.
October 4th 2011 @ 9:35am
League_Coach101 said | October 4th 2011 @ 9:35am | Report comment
I think the issue with Brett was that he was at the NRL Season Launch where he was in the position of being the ‘face of Rugby League’ for 2009. I don’t know about anyone else but if i had just been put at the centre of a major promotional campaign (which Manly and Brett undoubtably agreed to and heartily supported!) and was at a high profile corporate event where I was more or less the centre of attention – i think I’d be drinking a few ginger ales or cokes. Or possibly his ‘loyal’ Manly team mates including his brother might have been smart enough to tell him to lay off the turps. Of course neither of these things happened – Brett got smashed, got his name plastered all over the next days tabloids and the NRL had to junk a multi million dollar promotional campaign. So yeah – if I was David Gallop I’d be a little pissed off. In fact I think I’d double the 4 week suspension.
BTW (since I know someone is going to bring this us) this does not compare to Benji Marshall. Benji was clearly not drunk (as can be seen on the CCTV footage at Maccas) and the guy who made the accusation was clearly a gold digger right from the start. Perhaps the NRL could have stood him down too but then again perhaps he actually made himself available to the NRL to discuss what happened and perhaps he actually apologised…. which Brett Stewart never did.
Maybe Brett could have a chat with Todd Carney about appropriate consequences for getting drunk during the season….
So David Gallop owes Brett Stewart an apology? I think he’s got it backwards….
October 4th 2011 @ 12:48pm
Tim said | October 4th 2011 @ 12:48pm | Report comment
… None of which really changes the fact – he was punished because of the media response to his actions. It wasn’t sexual assault and it wasn’t drunkenness. It was the allegation of assault and what that did to the game’s reputation. Newspaper articles from the Herald and Telegraph at the time weren’t concentrating on the fact that Stewart was drunk – they were concentrating on the allegation of assault, and extrapolating a culture of disrespect for women from it.
Some perspective is really needed here. Stewart’s name wouldn’t have made the headlines if not for the assault allegations – whilst drunken, no other major complaint was made of his behaviour. There is no way that he would have been censured but for the allegation; from Stewart’s perspective, it would be easy to feel that he was being censured -for- the allegation.
October 4th 2011 @ 1:39pm
soapit said | October 4th 2011 @ 1:39pm | Report comment
is there a bringing the game into disrepute charge in league? you can’t argue he didnt do that big time.
October 4th 2011 @ 2:54pm
League_Coach101 said | October 4th 2011 @ 2:54pm | Report comment
I think the issue is that he was the centre of a multi million dollar promotional campaign. And I say again – if someone from the club had actually taken that into consideration and made sure the players behaved themselves – particularly Stewart – then there would never have been an issue to answer.
October 4th 2011 @ 8:11am
Stu said | October 4th 2011 @ 8:11am | Report comment
The Many players got off extremely lightly after the brawl at the world field in the league, Brookvale. Part of me thinks that the Clive Churchill medal was given to Glen to give a bit of an up you to the NRL. After all, it was selected by the ARL selectors led my Manly goon Fulton. There is still bad blood between the ARL and NRL and I’m sure the moment wasn’t lost on staunch NSW and ARL and manly man Fulton.
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October 4th 2011 @ 8:11am
Stu said | October 4th 2011 @ 8:11am | Report comment
*manly players*
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October 4th 2011 @ 8:22am
oikee said | October 4th 2011 @ 8:22am | Report comment
These players have massive chips on their shoulders. The less Manly involvement in next years promotions the better. . Gus should not be calling anymore, his involvement with the panthers should void his contract. Other clubs should be asking questions, why can he promote his club, even the pokies issue is part of that, his club suvives on them.
Both Stewarts have gotten away with way to much this year, light suspensions and sulking all year. The game needs stronger leadership, thank goodness they are at Manly, i could not even bare to think if they were part of my club, their morals are so far removed from normal. Glen Stewart punching Blair was the end of him for me. He looked, lined him up and got away with this, and his brother joined in, plain simple for the world to see, if you support this, good on you, i dont.
Lessons have been learned.
And they still have not moved on, another year of this will be unbearable. And please, no more puictures of the Stewart brothers, the one with his mouth open is putting me off sex.
October 4th 2011 @ 8:38am
Brett McKay said | October 4th 2011 @ 8:38am | Report comment
“the one with his mouth open is putting me off sex”
Oiks, of all the comments you’ve made on The Roar over the years, this might just be your best ever…
October 4th 2011 @ 9:38am
League_Coach101 said | October 4th 2011 @ 9:38am | Report comment
The Stewart brothers are unfortunately terrrible role models. The decision to suspend them for 1 and 3 weeks was obviously made to ensure the finals (and TV ratings) weren’t adversely hurt. The more the NRL props up these spoiled brats the worse they will think they can behave.
As for Gus… see my separate article on this topic. Something stinks out at Penrith and if the IC has all balls they will nip this in the bud.
October 4th 2011 @ 9:48am
Mark Young said | October 4th 2011 @ 9:48am | Report comment
“And please, no more puictures of the Stewart brothers, the one with his mouth open is putting me off sex.”
EWWWW!!!!
Now I have a mental connection that I will never be able to get rid of!
October 4th 2011 @ 10:24am
oikee said | October 4th 2011 @ 10:24am | Report comment
The adult shops have a doll that he could help promote.
He looks like her brother.
Sorry Brett, keep your mouth shut my good fellow, might be a lesson their for him.
October 4th 2011 @ 8:42am
Crosscoder said | October 4th 2011 @ 8:42am | Report comment
If either of the Stewarts carried on about this “feud” in any shape or form on the dais and directed it towards Gallop,they are plain dumb and will not secure, further sympathy from fans of other clubs.
They are indeed very good players,indeed good citizens,but as every citizen knows sometimes punishment is metered out by the law ,the school principal,the administrators of a sporting club,,and one has to accept it and get on with life.
The players who rushed in when the two man brawl started got off lightly.
October 4th 2011 @ 9:29am
Matt F said | October 4th 2011 @ 9:29am | Report comment
I would be pretty annoyed if I was a Manly player. You’ve worked hard all year and have had an amazing and succesful season (that’s hard to admit!) and yet two players (Brett especially) decide to make it all about them and use the presentation as a chance to settle personal vendettas rather then let the team bask in the glory of what they achieved. The vast majority of media coverage, which deserved to be on Manly’s performance this season, has now been diverted by a grown man who, really, should have been able to move on long ago.
October 4th 2011 @ 9:39am
League_Coach101 said | October 4th 2011 @ 9:39am | Report comment
No wonder Hoppa isn’t sticking around… this club will eventually self destruct.
October 4th 2011 @ 9:43am
Chris said | October 4th 2011 @ 9:43am | Report comment
He might be a grown man physically, but he’s got the maturity of an eight year old who won’t accept his punishment.
October 4th 2011 @ 10:13am
Penny4Them said | October 4th 2011 @ 10:13am | Report comment
I just wanna congratulate Steve Matai for disrespecting our national anthem during the GF, i cannot believe no one has said anything, absolute disgrace.
If anyone missed it he stuck his fingers up behind a players head during the singing, showed zero respect, but the tele can print all the feel good stories they like about the bloke.
It was ok for us all to show respect to his national anthem.
October 4th 2011 @ 2:55pm
League_Coach101 said | October 4th 2011 @ 2:55pm | Report comment
Actually i didn’t mind that.
Besides – it’s not his national anthem.
October 4th 2011 @ 9:04pm
mattamkII said | October 4th 2011 @ 9:04pm | Report comment
This country is built on a healthy disrespect for authority….not overly patriotic formal BS.
October 4th 2011 @ 10:22am
Charles said | October 4th 2011 @ 10:22am | Report comment
The Stewart Brothers have a grievance which they have not been able to resolve. They feel they have been wrongly done by and there are merits in their arguments. It is eating away at them and unless David Gallop and all those that are in involved, can thrash the issues out, it will continue to eat at them!
Bear in mind, Brett Stewart was the pin up boy for Rugby League until he got accused for rape and for a long while his name was disgraced in every newspaper. He must have gone through hell and although found not guilty, it appears he felt the league let him down in the process. Certainly there is a need to talk out the issues and be supported by counselling, which may help to mend, what is sad to see happen, for any footballer. In regards to the negative comments about the Stewart Brothers, I have been told from those who lived and grew up with them, they are the nicest people you can ever meet! It is a cheap shot to pull down someone’s character under the guise of being a journalist.
October 4th 2011 @ 11:15am
Jonathan Healy said | October 4th 2011 @ 11:15am | Report comment
I’m not pulling down their character, I’m simply reporting what I feel about them (it just happens to be right haha). There is a reason this website is called ‘Your Sports OPINION’.
Also, I’m over people (and it’s not just you, Charles) saying “such-and-such is a great bloke and obviously would never intentionally do anything malicious.” Commentators and whatnot say it over and over when serial offenders – ahem, Mr Matai – are up on charges at the judiciary. If we were to believe the commentators in every case then there would be no bad blokes in rugby league; which is obviously not true. I think it’s time commentators just accepted that some people are idiots or overly-aggressive or easily-baited or whatever and say that. I’m not saying all players a inherently bad people but I’m sick of people saying they’re all the best people to have ever graced the earth despite their constant indiscretions.
October 4th 2011 @ 1:51pm
soapit said | October 4th 2011 @ 1:51pm | Report comment
yep, pretty much everyone is an alright bloke 90-95% when you just have chat to them. its how people act in that last 5-10% that shows you.
October 4th 2011 @ 2:57pm
League_Coach101 said | October 4th 2011 @ 2:57pm | Report comment
I’ve also been told that Stalin was nice to his mother – heresay like that has no place in this discussion.
I think one of the major problems here is that at no point has Brett Stewart accepted that maybe just maybe his actions might have been the tiniest bit wrong?
No wonder David Gallop looked bemused on the podium – what must he have been thinking.
October 4th 2011 @ 3:53pm
soapit said | October 4th 2011 @ 3:53pm | Report comment
not to mention they’ve had many other options to be a man and schedule a meeting and thrash it out with him but he chooses to do it on the grand final podium when they are both really restricted in what they can say.
i suspect he wanted to avoid giving gallop much of a right of reply.
October 4th 2011 @ 3:58pm
Johnno said | October 4th 2011 @ 3:58pm | Report comment
Ah soappit why would you with the Stewart brothers they don’t fight fair. They don’t fight 1 on 1 as Adam blair found out if you pick a fight with 1 of them the other will jump in and run at you when you can’t see him. 2 on 1 with Gallop would not be a fair fight. I wouldn’t meet them either unless it could be 2 on 2 as they go in and help each other not good.
October 4th 2011 @ 10:27am
Stormin Red said | October 4th 2011 @ 10:27am | Report comment
Could not agree more with this, I have heard enough of the smug brothers and their sense of entitlement. They are not a hard luck story that anybody should have any sympathy for, these two are the embodiment of what is wrong with some league players. They have everything a lot of us dream of and yet they seem to feel we should all apologize to them for what they have done.
October 4th 2011 @ 11:33am
Charles said | October 4th 2011 @ 11:33am | Report comment
Yes it is your opinion but why attack the person, instead stick with the issue?
Too many people are on the high moral ground being so judgemental on issues they know very little about!
Unless you know them personally and had dealings with them yourself I suggest you stick to the issue and not assassinate their character
October 4th 2011 @ 7:47pm
Campbell Watts said | October 4th 2011 @ 7:47pm | Report comment
Perhaps you should be sticking to the NY Times or the BBC Charles if you only want to hear the issues without the “judgement” – this is a sports opinion blog! It’s bound to be full of opinions – most you will find to be judgemental, in fact any comment made is a judgement by that person regarding the issue!
And my judgemental view is I’m over these bloody whinging sooks!!
Now go read the Fin Review Charles