Playing Career
Stewart was second on the top try scorer list with 21 tries for the 2006 NRL season, one behind the South Sydney Rabbitohs' winger Nathan Merritt. As of 2012 he has the best strike rate for tries versus games in the NRL, soring in 80% of his games. Stewart is known as the "Try scoring wizard" because of strike rate in NRL games. In his first representative match playing for the Prime Minister's XIII against Papua New Guinea, he contributed to Australia's 28–8 win with a try. He made his State of Origin debut in Game 2 of the 2007 series, replacing an injured Anthony Minichiello at the last moment, and scored a try. Stewart played in the 2007 NRL Grand Final for Manly against Melbourne Storm but he was knocked out while contesting a bomb by a fair charge in the early minutes of the 2nd half by Storm forward Michael Crocker. Despite this, Stewart was selected as fullback for the Kangaroos end of season test against New Zealand in Wellington, contributing with a try in Australia's 58–0 victory. Ironically Stewart and Crocker were Kangaroo team mates for the Trans-Tasman Test, though Stewart bore no grudge as Crocker's tackle which knocked him out was fair and just one of the perils of playing fullback.
He played in the 2008 NRL Grand Final victory over the Melbourne Storm.
In August 2008, Stewart was named in the preliminary 46-man Kangaroos squad for the 2008 Rugby League World Cup, and in October 2008 he was selected in the final 24-man Australia squad. Stewart withdrew with a shoulder injury before the competition had begun.
Stewart features in the NRL's 2009 television advertising campaign, alongside Greg Inglis. The campaign was launched in The Domain with Stewart declaring the start of the 101st season of rugby league in Australia. Stewart played at fullback for the Manly Sea Eagles in the 2011 NRL grand final, scoring a try in the win over the New Zealand Warriors. Stewart was selected to make his return to representative football when he was chosen to play for Australia in the 2011 Rugby League Four Nations tournament but was forced to withdraw from the team through injury before the series started.
Stewart scored a try in the Sea Eagles' 2012 World Club Challenge loss to the Leeds Rhinos. After an injury-interrupted start to the 2012 NRL season with the Sea Eagles, Stewart returned to the field and his usual top form in time to be regain his position at fullback for New South Wales in the first game of the 2012 State of Origin series against Queensland at the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne. Stewart put in a solid performance in NSW's 10-18 loss and just missed out on scoring a try midway through the second half. The game was also the first time he and his older brother (and Manly team mate) Glenn Stewart had been selected for The Blues in the same game. Stewart played in the following two matches of the series which was won again by Queensland
Read more about this topic: Brett Stewart
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