He is as Manly as the Eagle that sits on his maroon jersey, but now Manly-Warringah legend Glenn Stewart is on his way across the Harbour Bridge after signing a two-year deal with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, beginning in 2015.
A loyal servant of the Sea Eagles for 12 long seasons, the Wollongong product has not just been squeezed out of the club he has proudly represented for over a decade but almost banished, with one of the major flaws in the salary cap rearing its ugly head once again.
Many believe loyalty is dead in rugby league but how is loyalty supposed to survive when a player like Stewart isn’t even offered a deal? Manly could do nothing but sheepishly shrug their shoulders because there was simply no room to move in a salary cap that doesn’t reward long serving players such as Stewart.
“I’m really excited about moving onto that next chapter of my career next year and I’m looking forward to the change, and the challenges, that will come with joining the Rabbitohs,” Stewart said in a written statement from Souths.
“I’m glad to have this sorted out early in the season so that I can now concentrate on finishing off the job I need to do for Manly this year.”
But the talented lock’s shift from the Northern Beaches to the Bunnies is only the tip of the iceberg, with brother Brett already publicly stating he would never play against Glenn in the National Rugby League. While Manly could be without both Stewart boys in 2015, there are plenty of positional questions to be asked of Souths now the Clive Churchill Medallist is joining their ranks.
Coach Michael Maguire had earmarked rookie playmaker Luke Keary as the Rabbitohs’ long-term five-eighth, but that plan was put on the backburner when the young half was ruled out with injury for the majority of 2014. John Sutton has moved from lock back into the number 6 role as a result.
Maguire, like most experts, believe Sutton is on borrowed time in the five-eighth role, with Keary already in the middle of a public tug-of-war between Queensland and New South Wales for his State of Origin services, despite only having played a handful of NRL games.
So what is going to happen at Redfern next season?
Stewart will walk into the team as the number one lock and rightfully so. The Rabbitohs have looked one-dimensional at times and have been desperately looking for offensive options to help out the likes of Adam Reynolds and Issac Luke. With Sutton recently surpassing Bob McCarthy as South Sydney’s longest-serving player, it is hard seeing Maguire putting the club favourite back to the bench, which means Maguire’s vision for Keary is dead in the water.
The most obvious choice is to put Sutton back to five-eighth and play Stewart in 13, where he has won two premierships for the Sea Eagles. Keary would be stuck in rugby league purgatory if Maguire wasn’t so desperate to find that attacking key to go with Reynolds, Luke and Greg Inglis.
Reality is Sutton never was a five-eighth and can’t be manufactured into a hard line-running fringe backrower this late in his career. Perhaps the Rabbitohs will be okay and somehow fit Stewart, Sutton and Keary into the starting 13. But you have to wonder if Maguire doesn’t have a career-defining decision to make in the next pre-season.
In a perfect world all three could co-exist alongside Reynolds, Inglis and Luke without stepping on each other’s toes.
The dynamic of the team however will suggest either a South Sydney cornerstone or the future of the Rabbitohs will be on the outer by the start of season 2015.
Ret
Guest
Lyon is a wonderful player, but anyone who remembers his origin performances against GI would probably disagree with your view on who is the better centre. Souths will obviously leave GI at fullback, however this is a player who also won the Churchill medal playing at five eighth.
Bro
Guest
^^ Spot on, not sure why more people aren't thinking this way. If they were to take on Brett i would think he would likely go wing or centre at a push. What's the big deal with playing against your brother anyway, i'm sure they did it plenty of times in the backyard.
Brendan
Guest
I think the role Sutton would play in 2015 as a backrower would be different to the role he played in the few games he played at lock. He was predominately playing in the middle this year however i could see him lurking on a left edge much the same way Gifty would lurk on the right. You would then have Reynolds and Gifty on the right and Keary and Sutton on the left with Inglis wrapping around on either side..
john badseed
Guest
And how good have the bunnies gone with a pack of smash and barge forwards? Finally have a proper ball playing back rower to unleash a free flowing back line instead of waiting for GI to make something out of nothing. Sammy's strength, much like Fafitai's, involves hitting the line hard and muscling up to the other props , unfortunately not much else. Gifty creating opportunities for GI will benefit the bunnies no end. Glenn has played with serious injuries for the past couple of years but he's coming good. His doubters will be thin on the ground as he leads Manly to another GF this year, (if the rorters don't get involved).
Dallas
Guest
Agreed. With sutton and Stewart on each edge they just need 3 Hard working middle forwards.
stifler
Guest
i think souths fans are getting way ahead of themselves. G.Stewart has not been the player he was for the last 2 seasons. And without his brother in the same team he is even worse. There is a reason Manly didnt resign the aging backrower and its because his best days are very much behind him. Sorry bunnies, but Glenn Stewart is nothing like the gun Sam Burgess is.
Curtis Woodward
Expert
Agreed. Came off almost blowing chunks in the few games he played at lock. Let's not forget either that Maguire preferred Dylan Walker to Sutton after Keary was injured.
Curtis Woodward
Expert
Keary a better option at five-eight, Stewart easily better option at lock and Sutton hasn't proved to me he can play long, productive minutes 'tight'. And if you want to play Sutton tight you also have to leave an extra starter on the bench. Team dynamic is everything.
Haz
Guest
Agreed. The numbers on the back don't make much of a difference these days. In Manly's backrow, Horo plays on the left, Watmough in the centre, and Stewart on the right. At the Bunnies, I imagine they'll put Stewart on one side and Sutton on the other.
Christian D'Aloia
Roar Guru
Sutton already played second row for a number of games this season, and he didn't quite kill it.
A View From the Top
Roar Pro
Stewart plays as an edge backrower, Sutton played 'tight' in his move to the backrow. Whole article about nothing, what a waste of time.
Dallas
Guest
Rabbitohs wouldnt be able to fit Brett stewart under there cap, hes not a centre or 5/8 either and Inglis would never be moved from fullback. He is the best fullback in the world at the moment, but he never was the best centre in the world, hodges and Lyon are better centres than Inglis, he just goes missing out there.
jamesb
Guest
Adam Reynolds needs to lift his game. I feel as though that he has regressed in the last 18 months or so. If Reynolds doesn't pull his finger out soon, then he could be the one under the spotlight. You could have a combo of: 6. Sutton 7. Keary 13. Stewart
dezza
Guest
Well the twelve or thirteen jerseys are basically interchangeable between sutts and stewart
Chris morrison
Guest
Sutton will play second row next year and he will kill it. Halves will be Reynolds and keary. Lock Glenn Stewart. The big question will be wether or not Brett Stewart follows his brother over and what position he will play. Souths have Greg Inglis at fullback. Brett could possibly play at centre or 5/8th but it really remains to be seen if he can handle the defence in the front line. GI is best centre in the world still, but would he be happy to move from fullback back into the centres?because from all reports fullback is his preferred position and let's face it he has been devastating since the positional shift.
peeeko
Roar Guru
as a side note, its amazing that Sutton is the record holder for most games at the rabbits. i would have thought that in the 106 year history of the club someone would have played more than 214 games?