Following the release of utility Jackson Hastings and winger Akuila Uate's season-ending injury, Manly are hoping to get the green light to debut young hooker Manase Fainu.
The Sea Eagles named the 19-year old to face the Panthers on Saturday, despite having his application rejected earlier this month to join their first-grade team.
At the time, League Central deemed that Trent Barrett's side had Hastings, Lewis Brown and Matt Wright as available hookers in their top 30, but Manly now have the capacity to upgrade Fainu's contract in place of Hastings'.
The NRL has not yet allowed the club any sort of exemption, and Uate's injury would likely result in the club being permitted to pick up someone outside of their four walls. This is because the Fijian's casualty falls under the league's criteria of salary relief for long-term representative injuries.
This comes after the The Australian Rugby League Commission formalised a plan earlier this month that provides clubs to spend $350,000 outside of their salary cap towards a player in the event of a State of Origin, international or All-Stars fixture injury.
Manly have until after the June 30 transfer deadline to find a replacement, and the NRL are unlikely to stand in their way if they find a tit for tat reinforcement from outside the club.
"We need to discuss whether we will go ahead and do that," Sea Eagles chief executive Lyall Gorman told The Sydney Morning Herald.
In other news, centre Dylan Walker will return from an eye-socket injury this weekend, pushing new recruit Trent Hodkinson to the bench.
Manly confirmed that Shaun Lane will depart the club at season's end and is expected to join the Eels.
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