League star suspended after sex charge

League star suspended after sex charge

11.03.2009
League star suspended after sex charge
Charged ... Manly Eagles Rugby League player Brett Stewart leaves Dee Why police station. Picture: Noel Kessel.

THE National Rugby League has stepped in to suspend Manly star Brett Stewart until round five, after he was charged with sexual assault of a 17-year-old girl.

The 24-year-old fullback was charged last night over an alleged incident following the club`s boozy season launch.  Manly had stood by their player and said he would play in this weekend`s season opener against the Bulldogs.

But after a crisis meeting this morning, the NRL said Stewart had breached the league`s code of conduct and would not be eligible to take the field until round five.  He is due in court on April 7, after the fourth round of the competition.

Stewart was the face of the NRL`s $1.5 million 2009 season marketing campaign which has had to be edited.

"Brett could not have been in a more high profile position of trust for the game on the eve of a season than he was last week and we believe he should have recognised the honour that he was given and the responsibility that went with it," said NRL chief executive David Gallop.

"By any estimation there was an abuse of alcohol in the aftermath of a club function that has led in some parts to the game being placed under enormous pressure.  The players and the clubs need to know that we are not going to accept that.

"The Manly club has today delivered its report into the function and the measures simply weren`t sufficient to stop drinking getting out of hand in the case of some of the players."

The Sea Eagles are also in the spotlight over Anthony Watmough`s behaviour after the forward was involved in an altercation with a club sponsor at last Friday`s controversial launch event.  The NRL has fined Manly $100,000 over the function.

Stewart and Manly have five business days to respond after receiving the formal breach notice with the option to take the matters to the NRL Appeals Committee.

Support

After Stewart was charged last night, he was driven to a meeting with Sea Eagles officials.  Mr Gallop joined the meeting by phone and reportedly urged the club to bench Stewart, but coach Des Hasler stood by his star.

Stewart also received the support of the Rugby League Players` Association, which said he had the right to keep playing while the matter was before the courts.

"As a general rule, a player should not be stood down from playing and fulfilling his contractual commitments to his club because he has been charged with a criminal offence particularly where the player has indicated that he will defend the charge," the RLPA`s Matt Rodwell said.

"A player like any other person in the community is entitled to the presumption of innocence."

In a news.com.au poll, three in four respondents said Stewart should have been sidelined until the matter was dealt with.

Last year, Cronulla suspended key player Greg Bird after he was charged with assaulting his partner.  That case is still before the courts and Bird now plays in France.

Cronulla chief executive Tony Zappia has said the same should have happened in this case.  "Whether the players like (it) or not, they are considered to be role models," Mr Zappia said on ABC radio.  "...Players (must) understand what their responsibilities are."

The New South Wales Premier and his opposite number both urged Manly to stand aside Stewart.

- with AAP

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A nightmare build-up was bad enough, but nothing compared to the suffering that awaited New South Wales at Suncorp Stadium.

When the dust settled on a spiteful clash, Queensland had staked their claim as Origin`s greatest by sealing a record fifth straight Origin series with a 34-6 victory.

But more pain is expected for fiery NSW backrower Luke O`Donnell.

The Maroons faithful in the 52,452-strong crowd went into party mode as Queensland continued their golden run - a 10-4 win-loss record since their winning streak began in 2006.

Only Queensland`s 13-3 record from 1922-26 is better.

It was going to take something special to take the focus away from the Andrew Johns racial row that had marred NSW`s shocking countdown to Origin II - but it became a subplot after O`Donnell`s brain explosion.

The Cowboys enforcer was considered lucky not to be sent off in the 26th minute when the match erupted following his ugly spear tackle on Maroons winger Darius Boyd.

He was placed on report - but that may be the least of his worries.

After O`Donnell`s shocking tackle sparked an all-in, the fired-up North Queensland forward could be seen headbutting David Taylor as the Queenslander was restrained by NSW`s Joel Monaghan.

While O`Donnell appeared to come off second best in the end after Sam Thaiday had finished with him, the Cowboys backrower looks set to have an even bigger headache when he appears before the judiciary considering his NRL rap sheet.

Not much had gone right for NSW in the countdown to arguably their most important clash in Origin`s 30-year history.

And the trend certainly continued from the kick-off.

Days after Johns` now infamous racial slurs rocked the countdown to Origin II, the question remained: ``How would the Maroons` indigenous stars respond?``

The fired-up Suncorp Stadium crowd didn`t have to wait long for the answer.

In the third minute a pumped Greg Inglis - the focus of Johns` rant that cost him his NSW assistant-coaching gig - had dragged two defenders over to score.

By the 12th, Israel Folau - another reportedly in Johns` sights on last week`s Blues bonding night - had latched onto a floating Willie Tonga pass and crossed with one of his first touches of the game to make it 10-0.

Asked how the Johns saga had affected him, Inglis told Channel Nine: ``It showed in my game tonight.

"I was pretty upset about it, and it`s pretty disappointing."

Cameron Smith gave NSW a sniff when he inexplicably kicked the ball out on the full not once but twice.

Yet by halftime Queensland had crossed again through Darius Boyd (35th minute) to make it 16-0.

It could have been worse. Billy Slater`s 31st minute effort was called back due to a dubious forward pass ruling.

It was more of the same in the second half as Queensland kept scoring, and players kept biffing.

The niggling act between Inglis and NSW centre Beau Scott boiled over in the 57th minute when the pair went toe to toe.

But there was no stopping the Maroons juggernaut as they blew out to a 34-0 lead through Tonga (44th), Folau (48th) and Cooper Cronk (62nd).

After Brett Morris was called back in the 74th minute for off-side, NSW finally got on the board through prop Brett White in the final minute, ensuring Queensland did not seal a record-breaking victory over the Blues.

It was the only solace for a badly beaten Blues outfit on Wednesday night.

In another headache for NSW, Paul Gallen was placed on report for a 23rd minute high shot on Nate Myles.

"I told you I was going to get him back," Gallen could be heard saying on the referee`s microphone.

AAP

Maroons embarrass woeful Blues   06/16/2010
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