Manly have dropped a finals bombshell by including Tony Williams in their 21-man squad for Saturday night's elimination final against Cronulla.

The Sea Eagles requested an exemption for the NRL to pick Williams from outside their top 30 when they named their team on Tuesday.

Manly have been decimated by injury and have also lost prop Marty Taupau to suspension after his high tackle on Parramatta’s Ray Stone last Friday night.

Williams has played 10 games for Blacktown Workers in the Canterbury Cup NSW this year but hasn’t played in the NRL since round eight last season for the Parramatta Eels.