Ignoring the drugs hysteria, there is a big problem in rugby league around the dashing Manly fullback Brett Stewart. For the sake of this young man, the Manly Football club needs to act like an adult and protect their player.
In early 2009 all the talk in league was that a crime had been committed on the northern beaches. Most of us, and I certainly include myself in this, believed the worst, that an innocent young woman in her pyjamas had been sexually assaulted by a drunk rugby league player.
It turns out that we were half right, a crime was indeed committed. Against Brett Stewart.
379 days after he was accused and splashed over every news outlet, his case was thrown out of court in less than an hour.
An astonishing read in the Sydney Morning Herald magazine Good Weekend revealed that that fullback had been deliberately targeted by a brazen conman, manipulating a vulnerable young woman into making the most heinous of allegations.
Brett Stewart did nothing wrong. He simply stood in the wrong place at the wrong time.
This was three years ago.
Unfortunately Brett then suffered a second crime. Only this time, it was committed by his club, his coach and his mates. None of whom helped him to move on.
Des Hasler disgracefully incorporated Brett’s incident into his narrative that “The NRL was out to get us” and “We need to band together since they don’t want us to win”. It won them a surprise premiership.
And left Manly with a desperately unhappy man, who shuns the media and desperately wants an apology from David Gallop.
He has gone from being the face of the game, to having ‘rapist’ screamed in his face at nightclubs and by Queensland ‘fans’ at Lang Park.
Indeed yesterday when word broke that he had been charged by police, the vitriol erupted on social media with huge amounts of personal abuse slung his way.
Manly needs to find an adult to help this man out.
If they don’t, he won’t be able to go into a pub for the next 50 years (he is only 28) without wondering if a drunk yahoo is going to bring up the worst day of his life.
If they don’t, his kids will come home from school crying because of what other kids are saying about their dad.
It actually isn’t that hard, Matt Johns was involved in a sexual tryst that ruined a young woman’s life. He let Tracy Grimshaw harangue him for twenty minutes and now he’s a TV, print and radio star again.
His brother Andrew took drugs his whole career, thirty contrite minutes with Phil Gould and he’s an immortal, and all over Channel 9.
Indeed it will only take four steps.
1. Spend a week on Camp Quality
Meeting bright young teenagers who are going to die from cancer before they are old enough to drive is gut wrenchingly sad. It also has a sobering way of focusing your mind of how much fortune you have in your own life.
Brett has his health, his youth, and is being paid a huge amount of money to play a game.
2. Get over Gallop
The hysteria in the media when Brett was accused was overwhelming. David Gallop was given a stark choice. He could help the code by killing the issue with a punishment to the player. Or he could have protected the player, and done huge damage to the code with weeks of highly negative press.
Not being able to do both, he made a choice and it wasn’t personal. There was never an apology coming, and there certainly won’t be one coming now.
3. Change nicknames
Snake has never had good connotations. Be it the bandit in The Simpsons or the bad guys in pretty much every Harry Potter book. Drop it and tell your mates at the club to drop it too.
4. Cry on TV, ASAP
Sit him next to his parents and girlfriend, and tell his story. Not just about the assault, and the aftermath, but about being an elite sportsman with Type 1 diabetes. About being a role model to young athletes who think their career is over when they are diagnosed with diabetes.
I have no interest in the Manly Sea Eagles. I’m a Wests Tigers fan and Manly has brought me nothing but disappointment in the last few years plus the weekly annoyance of listening to my Eagles-crazy mate carry on and on and on.
But this has to end. An innocent man deserves retribution in the public eye.
There are lots of reasons to hate Manly. Brett Stewart shouldn’t be one of them.
Kazzie
Guest
Unfortunately, no matter what Brett does he will always be labelled a rapist. Unfortunately despite the allegations being false, mud sticks and can ruin a person's reputation for life (no matter who they are). He did do an interview after the verdict, I think it was on the footy show. He doesn't need to do more. What needs to happen is the media need to grow up and back off. I don't blame him for not wanting to talk to the media after what they put him through for 18 months knowing he could not respond to it due to the court case. Like anyone who has been through an incredibly tough, trying time, it will take him a long time to recover from this. Too often with sports stars the media sensationalise the story to sell papers, but if the same situation occurred with the alleged perpetrator being a person off the street the reporting would stick to the facts. We need to stop labelling these guys as footballers first human beings second, stop trying to watch and report their every movement 24 hours a day and leave them to navigate their way through life like any human being. I am a knights fan, but I enjoy watching Stewart play, and never thought he was guilty.
thegovie
Guest
His nickname "Snake" came from his team mates when he started playing at Manly, because they noticed he'd always have a packet of lolly snakes in his bag for his diabetes.
Sea Eagle of Liverpool
Guest
Not a bad article but crying on TV is not the way to go and yes a change for his nickname would be a better way to improve his image.I have a question has the salary cap been set and has the NRL given the greenlight for Brets 4 year contract with Manly.Bret is a great person to talk to I have met him and shook his hand and I am proud to say I allways believed he was not guilty'It's about time this country made a law about baiting people who are well known into a fight just to make a name for themselves, a good jail term would be nice
Hughster
Guest
No problem Mark, the last week or so has been challenging for all sports fans. Personally I've been thinking a lot about what I expect from sport and it is a lot more than just medals and titles. Great sport is about great drama. Great drama is about how the human condition responds to competitive circumstances. Without a point of reference to the human condition the sporting arena becomes as relevant as the three rings of a circus. Keep typing and keep questioning.
Mark Young
Roar Guru
Thanks for reading my article Hughster I completely agree that clubs have a responsibility for their players welfare and development as young men. I desperately hope for young Brett's sake that a strong older man will put his arm around him and guide him out of this funk.
Hughster
Guest
Apologies for bringing the conversation back to the theme of the article. I think the point here is that the clubs have to demonstrate that they are taking greater responsibility for players than they are. Sacking a player because he has been caught doing the wrong thing is well and good but it is reactive. Guiding young men through a career which features challenges of a physical and emotional nature (including voracious media reporting) is responsible. Ultimately if the club is prepared to take the benefits of success they have to be accountable for the responsibilities of getting there. Remember also that in a number of cases these adults are recruited by clubs as teenagers as young as 15. Isn't there a quasi parental responsibility here? I recall a (well) north of the harbour club having a performance enhancing drug issue a few years back with a number of players. Feel free to correct me but I recall it was the lesser lights who got booted and not the stars. Is this inconsistency an example of responsible behaviour? BTW, I'm a 40 year Manly fan and like any long term fan of any club....we hear the stories of poor behaviour and cover-ups. True or not I think most fans are getting fed up with the debate and conjecture and just want to enjoy the game knowing everyone involved is doing their best to ensure the values that the game promotes itself on are founded on real commitment to do the responsible thing. Don't know about the rest of you roarers but I'm not convinced this is the case.
JJ
Guest
Ummm...wasn't that Joel Monaghan?
matt h
Guest
The point was that Manly failed Brett Stewart by continually fanning the "hard done by flames", which has not let the guy move on. They have made the scar bigger than it has to be. The could have minimised publicity, got him a therapist, etc but Hasler saw it as a great seige mentality tool.
Mals
Guest
What and suspended for 4 weeks for being drunk? Rubbish!
Mark Young
Roar Guru
Thanks Planko! Sorry I didn't read you yesterday.
nmj1654
Roar Rookie
Give him to the Storm for peanuts, barely anyone will recognise him and those that do will love him because he ditched Manly! Win-Win!
Dave
Guest
Fair enough. But in the pecking order I still believe old mate the con artist and his daughter and the media and the drunk at the bar have far more to answer for than the club, family and friends that KNEW he was INNOCENT.
Dave
Guest
Haha oikee. Didn't the broncos help out a certain test half from bankrupt years ago with a gambling prob by giving him more money that he lost AGAIN. Didn't they protect a certain test five eight from assault charges on a cafe owner that we all later saw footage that he did. Last but not least didn't they protect a certain current test forward from sex assault charges that were also proven in a toilet with other broncos players involved. The main difference is your club protected the guilty. Our club is protecting the innocent. Love it when you put your opinion forward. I will jump on you every time.
Hansie
Guest
And Stewart was fined by the NRL for being drunk, not for the alleged sexual assault. And Manly supported the NRL in imposing the fine, but subsequently changed position. Facts often forgotten or ignored on the Peninsula.
Dean - Surry Hills
Guest
Mushi - do you know if Greg Inglis footed the bill last time he was represented by a QC to defend a shoulder charge gone wrong on Dean Young ? I doubt it very much. If players were permitted to select Dennis Denuto over a Lawrence Hammill QC type, in an attempt to save a hefty legal bill - then you'd probably see offenders sitting out for twice the amount of time on the sideline. Clubs would simply not permit their stars to be thrifty. In this personal off-field event of Brett Stewart, do you honestly believe that there was any financial gain to the Manly RLFC by payment of his legal expenses by a third party? What fact seems to have been conveniently overlooked by you, is that both Manly RLFC and Brett Stewart have lost large amounts of income. The loss of both his rights to be the face of the NRL, and the endorsements of a host of other products and services, as well as the loss of ticket revenue, merchandise sales, and club memberships are through no fault of their own - as proven in a court of law within one hour. The NRL and David Gallop will never apologize as that would be an admission of liability. This would open up a legal path for both parties to seek reasonable compensation.
eagleJack
Guest
Yes Manly are the only ones to have ever consumed alcohol at a pre-season function. Haha. Ricky Stuart coached sides would have something to say about that!! Along with a myriad of others.
eagleJack
Guest
Yes he got drunk at a pre-season function. Just like 583 rugby league players before him. And if you read the story you would see he hasn't been charged with anything. See this is the problem. People just read what they want to read. Facts are overlooked and then incorrect assumptions are made.
Adam
Guest
Depends which club. At some clubs the answer would be zero because the players don't drink at those functions. At Manly the answer would be zero, but not because they don't drink but because they don't get in trouble.
planko
Guest
Roosters I would say your season will be interesting at the very least.
planko
Guest
I cant wait for other responses to this but how many players would be in trouble if we started banning players from getting drunk at sponsers evenings....