James Hooper is reporting on foxsports.com.au that Parramatta’s Anthony Watmough is set to retire with immediate effect due to an ongoing knee injury.

The 32-year-old is only one year into a four deal after leaving longtime club Manly-Warringah at the end of 2014.

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,” Hooper wrote.

Meanwhile in a huge morning of news for the Eels, legend Nathan Hindmarsh told Triple M’s Grill Team is was seriously considering a return to the NRL.

“This decision… is something you can’t take lightly. To go back playing after four years… it’s going to be a massive decision,” Hindmarsh said.

“I’ll need to sit down and talk to my wife about it, trainers all that type of stuff… and whether the body’s going to cope with it as well.

“I’ve been trying to keep as fit as I can. You don’t want to go out there and make a ‘dick’ of yourself.

“And also the game has probably sped up a little bit since I did retire. The thing in my favour is the interchange rule.”