Manly backrower Glenn Stewart is finally getting his timing back, and his timing could not be better.

Stewart has been slow to find his best after missing the opening six rounds of the season following minor knee surgery, but there have been signs in recent weeks that the former NSW Origin and Test representative was running into form.

“Each week I can feel little parts getting better,” Stewart said.

“My knee’s certainly getting much better.

“We haven’t been able to field the same team two or three weeks in a row which helps with the combinations so if I can start getting my knee right, a bit of fitness and those combinations, at least it’s at the right time of the year.”

With one third of the regular season remaining, the Sea Eagles are clinging to their spot in the NRL top four ahead of Sunday’s home game against the ninth-placed Gold Coast, who have lost three of their last four games.

While he still has some way to get back to peak fitness, Stewart admitted to relief that a poke in the eye against Parramatta a fortnight ago was not as serious as first feared.

“It got right in the soft part of it,” Stewart said.

“(You) don’t really want to muck around too much with the eyes.

“I couldn’t open it for quite a while, had the eye patch on for the next day and then the focus came back a couple of days after.

“When I got into the sheds and the doctor said everything is still attached and alright I was a bit relieved.”