Manly are set to welcome back superstar fullback Brett Stewart from a back injury for Monday night’s NRL clash with the Sydney Roosters.
The former NSW custodian suffered a chipped bone in his back after copping a knee during the Sea Eagles’ gutsy round eight win over St George Illawarra at Kogarah Oval.
The Sea Eagles have sorely lacked Stewart’s undoubted try-scoring ability since then.
Manly announced themselves as genuine premiership contenders over the early rounds of the season, winning five of their first six games before the stand-alone representative weekend.
Since then they have struggled, winning only two of their last seven games, with Stewart’s absence a significant factor.
Stewart wasn’t named when the team lists were announced on Tuesday but Sea Eagles coach Geoff Toovey said the man nicknamed `Snake’ could return against the third-placed Roosters who sit three points ahead of Manly in fourth on the NRL ladder.
“Potentially, he will be,” Toovey told reporters on Wednesday.
“He has just got some clearance things to do. He will probably have a run later in the week and just see how he is.”
Prop Brent Kite admitted the Sea Eagles had missed Stewart’s spark in attack.
“He’s a loss to any team. He’s just a natural. He does those things that you can’t even think about doing yourself,” Kite said.
“He will turn up when you need him and he will add a lot to this team.”
The probable return will also give Stewart the chance to put his case forward for selection for the NSW team for the final State of Origin game in Sydney on July 17.