The Manly Sea Eagles are gripped in a major crisis, with the latest allegations to hit the club centering on an alleged sexual assault by star fullback Brett Stewart overnight.
Hot on the heels of physical assault allegations against Anthony Watmough and the club ownership battle between Penn and Delmege, the Sea Eagles are now assisting Police with enquiries over an alleged incident involving a 17 year-old female.
Following legal advice, the Sea Eagles and Brett Stewart initially wouldn’t comment as Dee Why Police begin their investigations into the claims.
It’s believed that after a long night at the Manly 2009 Season Launch, Stewart left the premises and met a female after walking a short distance. Allegations suggest that Stewart and the female entered a fire-escape in a nearby building where the alleged assault is supposed to have taken place.
The female immediately going to Police, who subsequently took Stewart in for questioning in the early hours of the morning. According to commentary on Channel 9 news this evening, Stewart is apparently unable to recall any of the events of the night – making the situation much more complicated.
The NRL has released comment today; while reiterating that it’s simply allegations at this stage – David Gallop was still frustrated that an NRL player was out drinking until late in the evening and putting himself in a situation where he could be compromised by the public.
The NRL is also believed to be editing Stewart out of their 2009 advertising campaign, as the Manly fullback was picked not only for his ability but for his clean-skin public image.
As investigations continue, Manly are considering standing Brett Stewart down for Round 1 of the NRL.
In other Manly news, forward Anthony Watmough has been cleared of assault – the club sponsor refusing to take the matter further and not pressing charges.
I am devastated about Brett