For so long the ''us against them'' rationale has bred success on the northern beaches, but how far can the competition frontrunners go with the ''us against us'' mentality that is threatening to derail their premiership assault?

Managerial disharmony previously had no bearing on what Manly produced on the field, but there are ever-growing fractures among the playing group, as well as between the players and management.

Everyone in Narrabeen is walking on eggshells. So much so that the club won't announce the re-signing of several players (including Jamie Lyon and Jamie Buhrer) in fear of the backlash from those disgruntled players who are seething over the imminent departure of Glenn Stewart.

Anthony Watmough, Brett Stewart and Steve Matai have all reportedly asked for releases from their contracts, dumbfounded as to why the club could not table an offer to retain Glenn Stewart, who is bound for South Sydney next year after 12 years at the Sea Eagles.

At the heart of their frustration is a belief among the veteran players that they had agreed to backend contracts to enable the nucleus of a team – which still has eight members of the 2008 grand-final side that beat Melbourne 40-0 – to remain together, and rising superstar Daly Cherry-Evans should bide his time, too, before earning big dollars, just like they had to.

"There are young guys there who are enjoying the ride who haven't bought into the culture and that is probably why players are disgruntled," one source said. "These young blokes, and it is not just Cherry, have the attitude of 'I have achieved success, I want to be rewarded now'. Their day in the sun will come but these [senior] guys have sacrificed a hell of a lot financially."

Manly coach Geoff Toovey, who is understood to be frustrated with the antics of his senior players, expressed his views at a 3-1/2 hour board meeting on Wednesday night at the club's Narrabeen headquarters.

Fairfax Media has been told the board passed two resolutions:

* no player would be granted an early release from their contract; and,

* Toovey was to be given full control of the team, including the ability to hand down sanctions against players who speak out of line or cause unrest among the squad.

While the resolutions were passed unanimously may suggest otherwise, the Sea Eagles have one of the most bitterly divided board's in the NRL and it is unclear whether the rebellious actions of the players are linked to any political manouvering at the club.

Regardless of whether Watmough, Brett Stewart and Matai are granted releases or stay, it is too late for the club to keep Glenn Stewart.

"The current ructions within Manly at the moment don't really play any part in Glenn's thinking, he is looking forward to moving to Souths and a new challenge with a great coach," Stewart's manager Mike Newton said.

"It is an historic club and he is looking forward to those challenges and hopefully more premierships. One of Glenn's considerations when he was forced to leave Manly was going to a competitive club where he could win more premierships. He is a very competitive bloke and he is looking forward to playing with a great roster at Souths.

"None of this has any bearing on him whatsoever and he is sort of embarrassed that his name keeps getting dragged up. Obviously he was the first of that senior playing group to get pushed out the door but he hasn't given it any more thought and he is certainly looking forward to heading to Souths next year and achieveing the success he has had at Manly."

The Sea Eagles said they were not in a position to make Glenn Stewart an offer but since his move to Souths was confirmed in April the club has re-signed fellow back-rowers Jamie Buhrer and Jesse Sene-Lefao, along with several other players whose deals have not been announced.

As a result, some believe management may be trying to break up the senior playing group, who had refused to finalise deals until they knew the others were staying.

Five-eighth Kieran Foran, who is close to the Stewart brothers, was reluctant to talk to the media on Thursday afternoon. He was seen in a car with Brett Stewart and Watmough before the Manly media session, believed to be discussing a plan of attack as to how to respond to questions over player unrest.

Foran said: "I think the club underestimated Glenn Stewart's departure and we said all along 'Gift' was a massive part of building this culture here and as players we probably felt that he deserved a contract put in front of him."

It came after Watmough confronted Manly chief operating officer David Perry on Wednesday afternoon, questioning whether he had leaked information regarding the $970,000 he will receive next year as part of the final year of his back-ended contract.

It is also believed, and has been reported, that Watmough, as well as the Stewart brothers, don't get along with Cherry-Evans.

Some of the senior players have been making inquiries into the future of Cherry-Evans as speculation begins to mount that the Queenslander may leave Manly, which could impact on other players' decisions to stay or go.

"Basically, they think the money that could have been used for Glenn is being stockpiled for Daly, but I think that most players would be happy to have Daly Cherry-Evans in the team," another source said. "What these blokes have got to realise is that running a rugby league club is a business and the business going forward will be built around Kieran Foran and Daly Cherry-Evans, not Anthony Watmough and Brett and Glenn Stewart."

But the fact that the likes of Watmough were signed on such heavily back-ended deals – given the seal of approval by former coach Des Hasler – is the main cause of the drama around player payments at the moment.

The playing group is split in three and it is understood that some of the younger players deem the actions of their veteran teammates as selfish, and are growing tired of the soap opera that is threatening to ruin their season.

Skipper Jamie Lyon is torn between them all and is trying to play peacemaker to keep his side on the same page. "There's no issue," Lyon said before the team boarded a flight to Auckland on Friday morning. There might have been a few boys a little bit angry, but not everyone's going to be happy all the time in any workplace. I really don't think there's an issue. Everyone's starting to move on now."