Manly face a nervous wait before they find out the results on talismanic fullback Brett Stewart’s troublesome hamstring.

The brilliant No.1 will have scans on his right hamstring on Monday, but it appears he is an unlikely starter for Manly’s round two NRL clash against South Sydney in Gosford on Friday.

Stewart’s influence at Manly cannot be understated – and his absence was certainly felt in Saturday night’s season-opening golden point loss to Melbourne at Brookvale Oval.

The Sea Eagles have a host of veteran stars to compliment their international halves pairing of Daly Cherry-Evans and Kieran Foran, but no player means more to them than the try-scoring No.1.

In the nine games Stewart missed last year, Manly won just three – a telling statistic considering they finished the season.

On Saturday Stewart starred in the opening 40 minutes, having a hand in three tries as Manly marched to a 20-0 lead.

But his importance as a linkman in Manly’s backline play was highlighted by his absence in the second half as he sat on the sidelines as a precaution.

The Sea Eagles’ attack lacked the penetration and cohesion of the opening half, as Melbourne charged home to inflict a 23-22 last-gasp victory.

Manly should be able to call on former international David Williams (knee) for the Rabbitohs fixture, but his fellow winger Jorge Taufua is unlikely to recover from a shoulder complaint in time.