Stewart, 29, is on contract at Manly until the end of the 2016 season but like good friend Watmough has been disillusioned at last year's grand finalists since his brother Glenn was not offered a new deal and allowed to join South Sydney.

Stewart has been strongly linked with two other suitors, Canberra and Canterbury, but the shock exit of the ambitious Hayne will leave Parramatta as the new favourites for his signature should he be allowed to quit Manly.

A switch to Pirtek Stadium would make sense for the former representative fullback given his previous association with Eels head coach Brad Arthur, a former Manly assistant, and the fact that Watmough is destined to finish his NRL career in blue and gold.

Watmough has agreed to a three-year contract with the Eels starting in 2016 but after a fallout with halfback Daly Cherry-Evans and the Manly management last season, he is said to have been pressing to be released a year earlier.

The release of Stewart and Watmough would be contingent on the approval of Sea Eagles coach Geoff Toovey and the Manly board, but with the up-and-coming Peta Hiku and Clint Gutherson on their books, and prized halves Kieran Foran and Cherry-Evans the priorities when they come off contract at the end of next season, the opportunity to move beyond this year's drama could well prompt them to part ways with their experienced premiership duo.