The injury crisis at Manly appears to have hit a potential apex as reports emerge that the Sea Eagles are lodging a request with the NRL to obtain an exemption and name Tony Williams for their elimination final on Saturday night.
The Sea Eagles, who are missing a slew of top players including the likes of Tom Trbojevic for their finals campaign, will also take on Cronulla at Lottoland Stadium without Marty Taupau through suspension after being cited for a high tackle last week against Parramatta.
But ahead of the 4pm deadline for their squad announcement, the Sea Eagles are said to be making an attempt to land a coup in former Manly premiership player Tony Williams, who has been on the up following a stint at Blacktown in the Canterbury Cup NSW but now has a chance to reunite in unlikely circumstances with the coach he worked under at two NRL clubs.
The 30-year-old, if Manly is granted the exemption to name him in the 21-man squad for the Sharks encounter, will be looking to redeem himself at NRL level after his career was initially left in tatters at Parramatta last year following multiple positive tests for cocaine while he was out with a torn ACL.
Stay tuned to Zero Tackle as sides name their squads for week one of the NRL finals from 4pm.
And everyone thought the T-Rex was extinct