Manly Sea Eagles coach Kieran Foran is looking to bring try-scoring freak Brett Stewart back into the club in some capacity to help restore premiership success on the Northern Beaches.
Stewart is an all-time fan favourite in maroon and white, with News Corp revealing Foran is keen to have the legend fullback return in a coaching role for 2027 as the club pushes into a new era.
Manly has only just announced the signing of Sir Steve Hansen in a head of football role at the club, which shapes up as one of the more significant signings for the Sea Eagles in recent history.
Hansen was head coach of the All Blacks during one of the most dominant eras in world sport, recording an 87 per cent win record at the helm of the New Zealand men's international side.
The club is ready to strike again, and have 'Snake' return to help Foran navigate through his early years as a head coach.
Stewart scored 163 tries during his 233 NRL games, but more impressively donned an incredible strike record at Brookvale Oval, scoring 79 tries in 83 outings on the peninsula.
It is unknown at this stage whether Stewart will agree to a coaching role, but reports suggest Foran is pushing to have him back in some capacity on the training field to work with the club's strong fullback selection in Tom Trbojevic, Lehi Hopoate, Tolutau Koula and Clayton Faulalo.
Foran and Stewart won the 2011 NRL premiership together and spent their prime years on the field in a dominant Sea Eagles outfit boasting the likes of Glenn Stewart, Daly Cherry-Evans, Jamie Lyon, Anthony Watmough, Steve Matai and Jason King.
The club endured massive on-field success when the Manly stars were at their peak, playing in every finals series from 2007 to 2014.
In those eight years, they played in the Grand Final on four occasions.
Foran's first year at the coaching helm was a rollercoaster of emotions, with the club touted for a top four finish at one point of the season in the 'Fozball' revival, before six losses in a row saw them crash out of the finals race.
The Sea Eagles finished on a high note with a dominant win over St George before pushing the New Zealand Warriors to the very final whistle of their regular season with a 31-30 defeat in Auckland.
The season brought plenty of positives, with Fualalo emerging as a genuine star in the Sea Eagles lineup. He is expected to have first crack at the vacant right centre position following Reuben Garrick's move to the Roosters.
Manly is set to return to preseason training in roughly six weeks' time in preparation for its 2027 campaign.
