Brett Stewart chose wrong time to have words with David Gallop
UNLESS you have walked in Brett Stewart's shoes these past three seasons, unless you have sat in the courtroom dock knowing you have done nothing wrong yet your freedom rests in the hands of a jury, you can't know what it's like to be wrongly accused of sexual assault.
You can't know but the stomach churns at the thought. You can understand his fury, which has seemingly not subsided since he was acquitted of those charges a year ago. You can even understand him searching for someone to direct his anger at, and it's been there for all to see that David Gallop has been the punching bag.
Nevertheless, the Manly fullback's attack on NRL boss David Gallop was a serious error of judgment.
This wasn't the time for payback. This wasn't the time to make a statement. This was a time to be magnanimous.
Instead of "closure" and "moving on", the firestorm remains ablaze because now Rugby League Land is infatuated with a whole new conversation starter: What did Brett and Glenn Stewart say to David Gallop?
Yesterday, neither Manly nor Gallop were commenting about the issue yesterday but the truth was always going to seep out.
And for all the Oprah-talk talk of "closure" and "moving on" it is clear that the Stewarts still harbour a sizeable grudge.
"You still owe me an apology," Brett Stewart said, in part, although it is understood to have been much heavier than that.
While Stewart was respectful enough and didn't swear at Gallop, his words were enough to offend David Thody , the chief executive of major sponsor Telstra who was standing right next to the pair.
Likewise, Gallop's laughter when Glenn Stewart had something to say after accepting the Clive Churchill Medal shouldn't be misconstrued as happy-happy times.
For his part, Gallop isn't saying a word about it.
While there were enough people on stage to overhear the remarks, NRL staff are under instruction stay silent on the subject.
Gallop believes it's up to Stewart and Manly to divulge precisely what was uttered, although you could understand if he was bemused by comments from the Sea Eagles directly after the grand final to the contrary.
There's a significant difference between an acrimonious exchange with the NRL chief executive and then declaring you are "moving on" and the notion of shaking his hand and saying, "David, let's move on".
Either way, for Stewart to use such a public platform on the stage after the grand final to finally speak to Gallop was the wrong call.
It gave Gallop no chance to defend himself and argue his own case.
The NRL boss has repeatedly said publically he would meet with Brett Stewart to discuss the four-match ban slapped on him in the wake of Manly's drunken season launch in 2009.
Whether you think Gallop should apologise or not, if you think the NRL was too hasty in making the decision to rub Stewart out, is a moot point. The mature and productive thing to do would've been to tell Gallop face to face, behind closed doors, what he thought of him and his decision.
If Manly officials knew Stewart was going to take such a public stance, they have erred terribly in advising him against it.
Where to from here?
It would be in the best interests of Manly, Brett and Glenn Stewart and their family, and the wider game if we could draw a line under the entire episode.
Brett Stewart mightn't have told David Gallop it was time to move on, but it needs to be the next step.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sp...ith-david-gallop/story-e6frexnr-1226157580011
