7th Tackle: Honeymoon over for two Manly greats
Manly host just five more games at Brookvale this season and the opportunity to parade retired legends Steve Matai and Brett Stewart looks lost.
While Stewart has spent a lot of time in Melbourne this year to work on his restaurant venture, Matai has been overseas in Hawaii getting married.
He's back on the Northern Beaches now but is unlikely to rejoin the club in a working capacity.
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His replacement – rookie centre Brian Kelly – recently confessed that he'd never met Matai before.
Stewart has been unsighted at the club's Narrabeen headquarters despite the fact that he, too, is on the payroll this year.
Still under contract on full pay, both players are obliged to do as much as 20 hours work – coaching, promotion or community work – for the club but neither has been asked to lift a finger.
We also understand Stewart was happy to be absent after falling out with a 'senior' member of the Sea Eagles administration staff.
Matai is now set to move to northern NSW to be closer to his new wife's family now that they've tied the knot.
Club officials are still keen to hold a special farewell party at Brookvale later this year, but the guests of honour don't appear keen to RSVP.
