CHAMPION NSW State of Origin and Australian Test forward Anthony Watmough could be forced to retire effective immediately due to a chronic knee injury.

The Parramatta Eels forward, whose four-year deal with the Eels started last season, has been discussing the possibility of hanging up the boots since the start of this year.

Watmough, 32, had surgery last July on a chronic knee injury and has since endured a hugely disrupted pre-season at Parramatta due to the injury.

Foxsports.com.au has been told Watmough’s knee has degenerated so badly the Eels backrower struggles to train and required painkilling injections to get on the field for the majority of last season.

Round 19

If forced to retire, the champion backrower will depart having accomplished everything there is to achieve in rugby league.

Two premierships with the Manly Sea Eagles in 2008 and 2011, 14 State of Origin matches for NSW and 16 Test matches for Australia are among his numerous accolades.

The other trait Watmough will be remembered for is his ability to play hurt.

Anthony Watmough runs the ball for Parramatta in 2015. Source: Getty Images

The Parramatta forward has always demonstrated a tremendous pain threshold, playing through two bulging discs in his neck, a torn bicep, chronic knee and elbow problems.

Watmough went for new scans recently with the results believed to have signalled the two-time premiership-winning backrower’s career could be cut short.

Parramatta coach Brad Arthur was guarded when asked about the Watmough situation.

“I haven’t had any of those (retirement) types of discussions. From the club’s point of view he won’t be available for round one but we’re hoping for round two or round three,” Arthur said.

Last December, Watmough openly discussed how close he was to retirement due to his knee in The Daily Telegraph.

“When I first started putting any pressure on my leg, it was as though it was on fire, it was a burning sensation,’’ Watmough said.

“From my knee down to my ankle, was just on fire. I said to the physio (Josh Rigg), ‘I’m done.’

“I thought the cue was in the rack for me.

“Josh said: ‘Just trust me.’

“I was a bit sceptical at the time, I went home to my wife and told her, ‘I think I’m done — I can’t run.’

“I thought if that was to be the end, well I guess that’s life, I’ve had a good run.’’

In the same interview, Watmough went on to say the injury was improving and he wanted to have one last crack at 2016.

Since making his debut for the Northern Eagles aged 18, Watmough has rarely missed a match and was inducted into the NRL’s elite 300-game club towards the end of last season against the Storm in Melbourne.

In total, Watmough has played 303 NRL matches, eight for the Northern Eagles, 278 for Manly and 17 for the Parramatta Eels.

Critics will argue Watmough was a poor signing for Parramatta but without his signature it’s unlikely the Eels would have been able to embark on arguably the NRL’s best recruitment drive.

Because of Watmough, the club was also able to secure players of the calibre of newly-appointed captain Kieran Foran, Beau Scott, Michael Gordon, Clint Gutherson and finally Michael Jennings.

The Eels now boast a roster which should be capable of competing against the NRL’s best teams as they bid to make the finals for the first time since 2009.

Watmough did not return calls or text messages when foxsports.com.au asked specifically about retirement.

The Watmough development comes as the Eels have announced the re-signings of emerging forwards Daniel Alvaro, Kaysa Pritchard and Alex Twal.

Alvaro and Pritchard have both extended until the end of 2018 while Twal, a 19-year-old who is yet to make his NRL debut, has signed until the end of next year.