Piece of NRL history could be lost after charity donation mishap

A piece of Australian rugby league history is feared lost forever after a star in the Newcastle Knights' 1997 grand final winning team mistakenly included his premiership ring in a bag filled with op shop donations.

Marc Glanville had cleaned up while moving house and threw several bags over the fence of a closed Salvation Army store in the New South Wales suburb of Wallsend on Sunday night.

The former Knights forward said he mistakenly included a box containing a silver Seiko watch.

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Inside that box, a wedding band and the priceless piece of football memorabilia were stored under a cushion.

"I'm cursing myself that I didn't check (the bag)," Glanville told 9News.

"To lose that grand final ring, it's very special and holds a lot of memories. It means the world to me."

Glanville put the word out on social media on Wednesday morning, after volunteers at the Wallsend store were unable to locate the bag in question or the watch box.

It's believed someone may have taken the bag while the shop was closed.

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"They could have taken the watch and not realised there was a couple of rings under the cushion," Glanville said.

"They could be at the tip by now, who knows."

Salvos Stores CEO Matt Davis said the case is an important reminder to only donate during opening hours.

"Despite the best intentions of our donors, things happen overnight sometimes."

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"We're really feeling for Marc at the moment having lost something that's very special to him," he said.

"That ring is a huge deal for any elite athlete and we're doing everything that we possibly can to help Marc be reunited with his ring."

Around 20 of the 1997 grand final rings are thought to be in existence.

The nine-carat gold bands were made at an estimated $150 to $200 back then, but 25 years on they're simply priceless.

Glanville is encouraging anyone who finds his premiership ring to contact police.

He said there could even be a reward in it for NRL lovers.

"If they're a Knights fan, I'm more than happy to get a Knights jersey signed for them and they can pin that up on their wall."