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With Glenn Stewart forced to leave Manly because of the salary cap, his undying loyalty towards the Sea Eagles doesn’t mean anything.
To the NRL, loyalty means the size of the wallet.
And while the NRL concentrate on policing shoulder charges, sometimes looking at lifting, and letting a spate of poor refereeing decisions go unchecked, dedicated and loyal players like Stewart slip through the cracks.
That’s untenable, but the solution is simple.
Any player who has chalked up an uninterrupted decade with one club should have that loyalty recognised.
Stewart, formerly one of the first choice Kangaroos and NSW State of Origin representatives, should automatically be left out of the salary cap, and contracted to whatever his club deems fit to pay.
The same applies to his equally talented brother Brett, and should have applied to Steve Menzies before he ended his stellar career overseas because of the cap.
Manly is a good example of where loyalty reigns supreme. Love or hate the seaside club, it’s the leader when it comes to a big family unit where they always play for each other.
But ask any rugby league lover, and 80 per cent hate Manly with a passion, and would give anything to see them beaten, preferably flogged, every week.
Is it jealousy? Or a hangover form the bad old Roy Masters-Wests days in the late 70s and early 80s when Masters described Wests-Manly games as a clash between the Wests fibros and the Manly silvertails?
It was without peer one of the great rugby league feuds, orchestrated and fueled by Masters.
In more recent times it’s the Wests Tigers, and with the change in name it would be fair to say the Masters-inspired feud is a thing of the past.
But hating Manly is still a rugby league sport in itself.
Even the knockers have to admit they are one of the very best and most consistent clubs in the NRL.
In the last seven seasons, Manly has been in the mix every year,
– 2007: beaten in the grand final by the Storm 34-8.
– 2008: NRL premiers, beating the Storm 40-0.
– 2009: finished fifth.
– 2012: finished eighth.
– 2011: NRL premiers, beating the Warriors 24-10.
– 2012: finished fourth.
– 2013: beaten in the grand finial by the Roosters 26-18.
Love ’em or hate ’em, Manly has a track record the vast majority of other clubs would be proud to own.
And it’s loyalty that makes them great.
The only exception to that rule has been former favourite son as a player and coach – Des Hasler.
But he went to the Bulldogs when the Manly board pottered over offering him a new contract, despite the fact they were premiers in 2011.
Blame the board, not Des Hasler.
So that leaves Glenn Stewart, now signed with the Rabbitohs for two years. Given the loyalty clause I’m suggesting, there’s no way Glenn would ever leave Manly.
Now he will be gone at season’s end, it will be interesting to see if Brett goes as well.
It’s hard to imagine the champion fullback would go to Souths – they already have one of the greatest of all time in Greg Inglis. Perhaps on the wing?
But the Stewart brothers have always said they would never play against each other.
Now, because loyalty is not recognised by the NRL, they may well have no option.
Damn shame all round.