TERRY LAMB - the only other man suspended for declining to wear the sky blue - believes Manly centre Jamie Lyon should still be considered to represent Australia at the World Cup, despite spurning the opportunity to play for NSW.

Former ARL general manager John Quayle stood down Lamb for one club match when the Canterbury playmaker withdrew from the NSW team in 1987 to be with his pregnant wife, Kim.

As reported in yesterday's Herald, Lyon won't receive any sanction because he wasn't officially selected, despite telling NSW coach Craig Bellamy before Origin II that he preferred to concentrate on club duties.

But he does face an unofficial ban from playing in the World Cup, to be held in Australia at the end of this year - unlike Lamb, who was included in the Kangaroos World Cup squad in 1988.

"As it was for me, the choice should be his not to play," Lamb said. "As I said to John Quayle at the time, it is my decision to play rugby league. It should be my decision not to play for NSW.

"Jamie Lyon has been in great form this year and if he's still in that form at the end of the year, he should be considered [for Australia]."

Like Lamb, it's understood Lyon did not want to be away from his young family during the Origin series.

Manly officials were bemused at the outrage sparked by Lyon's decision, because he had not even been picked for the NSW team. Almost as mystifying to the Sea Eagles were the rumours Lyon wanted to walk out on the final two years of his current deal to join cashed-up UK Super League club Warrington.

Blues fullback Brett Stewart said he and his Sea Eagles teammates had been unaware Lyon had told Bellamy his preference was not to play.

"He's a good mate of mine and any decision he makes, I'll respect," Stewart said. "He hasn't mentioned anything to me. The first I heard about it was this morning. If that's his decision, it's surprising. I guess he has his reasons."

Asked if he would have liked Lyon in the side in the absence of Mark Gasnier, Stewart said: "He definitely would have had something to offer. He's a great player. He's a little bit older. He's got a couple of kids and family. Maybe the thought process changes as you get a bit older."

In terms of his own World Cup ambitions, Stewart is eyeing the deciding match against Queensland next Wednesday night as an opportunity to press his claims for the Australian No.1 jumper. Queensland custodians Billy Slater and Karmichael Hunt appear to have the edge over the Manly flyer.

"If you want a time to shine, this is the best chance to do it," Stewart said. "If you can do it at this level, you can do it at the highest level. They [Hunt and Slater] have been very good. They scored 30 points on us in game two, so they're outside backs are doing better than ours."