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Stewart brothers - good old boys caught in spotlight of new media
August 10, 2012
Brad Walter
AS HE walked back towards the NSW goal line after scoring a 47th minute try in Origin III at Suncorp Stadium, Brett Stewart was subjected to taunting from Queensland fans over the sexual assault allegation for which he was cleared by a Sydney court almost two years ago.
The chants were nothing new to Stewart but gave some of those involved in the Blues camp a better insight into why he and his brother Glenn will never be able to get over the injustice the one-time ''face of the game'' had to endure.
Speak to those who know the Manly pair well and they tell you they are easy-going country boys who love a beer and a joke and would have been as well suited to playing league 20 years ago. ''They're old school,'' the Herald was told. ''Brett's nickname is 'Ratsie' because he doesn't give a rat's arse about anything, and I think Glenn would rather be playing when footballers went to work during the day, trained a couple of nights per week and didn't have to do all the bull**** they have to do now.''
Top of the list of the things the brothers don't like to do is interviews with the media. Glenn spoke at Sea Eagles training on Wednesday but his answers were short and weren't used by television or any of the major media. Those that were at the Narrabeen training session described him as polite - as he was when he spoke to journalists during Origin.
He just made it clear he would prefer to be doing something else.
Brett is even more media-shy and preferred to remain in a small dressing room within a large room at Etihad Stadium while he and NSW captain Paul Gallen waited to submit to drugs tests two hours after Origin I had finished rather than face the journalists outside. ''People say to him you have to get over it but he says 'it's all right for you, you don't have to live it' - and you can't argue with that,'' a source said.
''No matter what is written or said about him now, he still gets called stuff at footy games that can be pretty cruel. He is a strong enough person to deal with that now, whereas once upon a time it hurt him a lot more, but he will never be the same kid.''
Even before the accusations levelled at him in March 2009, Brett was considered ''sensitive''. At the time, the Manly fullback was talked about with the same affection people now speak of Billy Slater and he was a poster boy for not only the NRL but diabetes after going public with his need to take insulin injections since being diagnosed as a teenager.
Suddenly, no one wanted anything to do with him and while he still does charity work, the Herald was told he didn't want any publicity and had no interest in dealing with sponsors or media. A recent article in Good Weekend magazine that outlined the criminal past of the father of the 17-year-old who accused Stewart of sexual assault and alleged he had targeted the Test star, helped change some people's opinions.
However, Stewart has told friends it still did not tell the full story.
''I know some people will say he is getting paid a lot of money to play football and therefore he should be obliged to do media interviews and that sort of things but it is because of his profile as a footballer that this happened,'' one friend said.
Away from the spotlight, Brett is described as ''very humble'' and a ''fun-loving, caring, warm individual, who is probably more focused on those around him than himself''.
He and Glenn are close but not inseparable, with the Herald told that Brett, who is yet to re-sign with Manly, would have moved home to Wollongong to play for the Dragons next season for the right deal. Origin teammates have said Glenn is more outgoing and a keen card player, whose nickname ''Gifty'' comes from the fact he is naturally gifted at just about everything he does.
NSW coach Ricky Stuart, who had the Stewart brothers in his side this season, described them as ''old school'' footballers. ''They are both blokes who could have played 20 years ago with me because they are old school people, which is why I have got a good rapport with them,'' he said. ''In saying that, their involvement in regards to preparation, team meetings and video is good and they know the game well. They have both got good rugby league instincts.
Long-serving Manly official Peter Peters said: ''I have the utmost respect for them as people. They come from a great family, they are wonderful players and they are a huge asset to Manly. People don't know what they have gone through and they should respect that.''
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/stewart-brothers--good-old-boys-caught-in-spotlight-of-new-media-20120809-23x78.html#ixzz235v5QVeL
Stewart brothers - good old boys caught in spotlight of new media
August 10, 2012
Brad Walter
AS HE walked back towards the NSW goal line after scoring a 47th minute try in Origin III at Suncorp Stadium, Brett Stewart was subjected to taunting from Queensland fans over the sexual assault allegation for which he was cleared by a Sydney court almost two years ago.
The chants were nothing new to Stewart but gave some of those involved in the Blues camp a better insight into why he and his brother Glenn will never be able to get over the injustice the one-time ''face of the game'' had to endure.
Speak to those who know the Manly pair well and they tell you they are easy-going country boys who love a beer and a joke and would have been as well suited to playing league 20 years ago. ''They're old school,'' the Herald was told. ''Brett's nickname is 'Ratsie' because he doesn't give a rat's arse about anything, and I think Glenn would rather be playing when footballers went to work during the day, trained a couple of nights per week and didn't have to do all the bull**** they have to do now.''
Top of the list of the things the brothers don't like to do is interviews with the media. Glenn spoke at Sea Eagles training on Wednesday but his answers were short and weren't used by television or any of the major media. Those that were at the Narrabeen training session described him as polite - as he was when he spoke to journalists during Origin.
He just made it clear he would prefer to be doing something else.
Brett is even more media-shy and preferred to remain in a small dressing room within a large room at Etihad Stadium while he and NSW captain Paul Gallen waited to submit to drugs tests two hours after Origin I had finished rather than face the journalists outside. ''People say to him you have to get over it but he says 'it's all right for you, you don't have to live it' - and you can't argue with that,'' a source said.
''No matter what is written or said about him now, he still gets called stuff at footy games that can be pretty cruel. He is a strong enough person to deal with that now, whereas once upon a time it hurt him a lot more, but he will never be the same kid.''
Even before the accusations levelled at him in March 2009, Brett was considered ''sensitive''. At the time, the Manly fullback was talked about with the same affection people now speak of Billy Slater and he was a poster boy for not only the NRL but diabetes after going public with his need to take insulin injections since being diagnosed as a teenager.
Suddenly, no one wanted anything to do with him and while he still does charity work, the Herald was told he didn't want any publicity and had no interest in dealing with sponsors or media. A recent article in Good Weekend magazine that outlined the criminal past of the father of the 17-year-old who accused Stewart of sexual assault and alleged he had targeted the Test star, helped change some people's opinions.
However, Stewart has told friends it still did not tell the full story.
''I know some people will say he is getting paid a lot of money to play football and therefore he should be obliged to do media interviews and that sort of things but it is because of his profile as a footballer that this happened,'' one friend said.
Away from the spotlight, Brett is described as ''very humble'' and a ''fun-loving, caring, warm individual, who is probably more focused on those around him than himself''.
He and Glenn are close but not inseparable, with the Herald told that Brett, who is yet to re-sign with Manly, would have moved home to Wollongong to play for the Dragons next season for the right deal. Origin teammates have said Glenn is more outgoing and a keen card player, whose nickname ''Gifty'' comes from the fact he is naturally gifted at just about everything he does.
NSW coach Ricky Stuart, who had the Stewart brothers in his side this season, described them as ''old school'' footballers. ''They are both blokes who could have played 20 years ago with me because they are old school people, which is why I have got a good rapport with them,'' he said. ''In saying that, their involvement in regards to preparation, team meetings and video is good and they know the game well. They have both got good rugby league instincts.
Long-serving Manly official Peter Peters said: ''I have the utmost respect for them as people. They come from a great family, they are wonderful players and they are a huge asset to Manly. People don't know what they have gone through and they should respect that.''
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/stewart-brothers--good-old-boys-caught-in-spotlight-of-new-media-20120809-23x78.html#ixzz235v5QVeL
