Despite Stewart saying after Manly's 24-10 premiership win that he had ''moved on'', there appeared little doubt his conversation with Gallop during the post-match presentation was tense, and a body language expert yesterday told the Herald Stewart had shown anger towards Gallop, and had displayed ''a lot of pent-up aggression''.
Neither Stewart nor his brother Glenn had spoken to Gallop since he suspended Brett for four matches at the start of the 2009 season for bringing the game into disrepute, and there had been speculation the pair would refuse to shake hands with him on the podium.
Both did shake hands with Gallop, but first Glenn - the Clive Churchill Medal winner as man of the match - and then Brett, after accepting his premiership ring, engaged in lengthy conversations with the NRL boss.
Channel Nine last night reported Brett had said: ''It's fine, I am here shaking your hand but, David, you owe me an apology.''
The Herald was told those were not Stewart's exact words but they were an accurate summation of what he had said. Gallop again did not want to comment last night.
After viewing footage of Gallop's exchange with Stewart, Michael Kelly, a body language and speech communication expert, said: ''As he's walking towards [David] Thodey [Telstra chief executive], he gives Gallop the evil eye. As he was shaking Thodey's hand, he sent a side-glance at Gallop. Then he just steps right into Gallop.''
While Kelly said Thodey ''seemed to provide some support for Gallop'', the reaction from the Telstra boss gave an insight into the altercation.
Penn said he would allow Hasler space to enjoy the club's eighth premiership before the two meet early next week to complete negotiations.
Hasler told reporters in the ANZ Stadium dressingrooms that he intended to fulfil the last year of his contract, taking him to the end of next year.
"It's purely speculative at the moment," Hasler said of the reported moves by the Bulldogs and the unexplained delay in signing an extension with Manly. "I've not given it a thought. I'll be at Manly next year."
Penn still feels the urgency to lock Hasler into a two-year extension, taking him to the end of 2014. But the man who played 287 first-grade games _ 255 with Manly _ might want to increase that.
"That's still up for discussion," Penn said.
He was also not overly concerned that other coaches _ the Warriors' Ivan Cleary for example _ were able to leave with a year or more to run on their contracts.
"Well they chose to release him. That was their decision," Penn said. "There was some compassionate grounds there as well in Ivan's case. However, I think Des's comments last night, coupled with our contract, we were always pretty clear about him being there in 2012. Talking 2013 and beyond has always been our expectation."
The players also want Hasler to stay. However, mission-bound winger Will Hopoate may return from his Mormon church calling in two years time and find Hasler not at home.
"He'd be a big factor," Hopoate said, when asked if Hasler remaining would sway him to re-sign with Manly.
Former Test prop Brent Kite said Hasler had earned the right to shop himself around, like Wayne Bennett had done with the Roosters, St George Illawarra and Newcastle after six premierships with Brisbane.
"I don't know what Des's plans are, or if he's got aspirations to be a career coach and maybe do what Bennett is doing, which is cool," Kite said. "I thought he was Manly through and through so it'd be nice to sign him for a bit longer.
"He's the backbone of the club. He's taken the blokes from obscurity to title contenders and now double premiers.
"I can't say enough about the bloke. It's good to see he's staying on. He probably just bumped his price up a little bit."
Manly co-captain Jamie Lyon said Hasler was the best coach he had played under and that he could not see him leaving Brookvale Oval.
"Then again I never thought Wayne Bennett would leave the Broncos," Lyon said in the dressingroom after scoring the last try in Sunday's 24-10 grand final win over the Warriors.
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