MELBOURNE Storm will find out as early as today whether promising forward Sika Manu will remain with the club or be the latest member of the defending premier to take richer pickings elsewhere.

Storm football operations manager Frank Ponissi said yesterday he was expecting to hear from Manu's management today or over the weekend, but conceded the Storm could not match rival offers.

Ponissi gave the Storm's final offer for Manu, who can play as a prop or in the back row, to his manager, Chris Orr, yesterday afternoon.

"We're very, very keen to retain him. We've made an offer; we believe he's got one or two offers from other NRL clubs so we're basically waiting to see if he'll accept our offer," Ponissi said.

"It will be sorted out within the next 72 hours and, hopefully, favourably for us."'

Manu's loss would be a blow to the Storm after Jeremy Smith notified the club last weekend that he would leave at the end of the season to take up a lucrative offer from St George Illawarra. Fellow back-rower Sam Tagataese has signed up with the Gold Coast from next season.

Before speaking to Ponissi last night, Orr confirmed that Manu had larger offers from two other NRL clubs.

"He's had an offer from the Storm and we're working to try and increase that," he said.

Manu is the final signing dilemma for the Storm, which has been suffering from a salary cap pinch, after losing Israel Folau to Brisbane but managing to retain Dallas Johnson, Jeff Lima, Adam Blair and Aiden Tolman.

■NSW back-rower Ryan Hoffman yesterday recounted personal experience in backing debutant Blues half-back Mitchell Pearce to repel the expected targeting by Queensland in next Wednesday's state of origin.

Hoffman pointed to the Storm's round-three NRL clash against the Roosters this season when he had the orders to repeatedly run at the 86-kilogram Pearce, the son of former Blue Wayne Pearce.

"He handled himself very well. He threw his body in front of me a few times and got a few good shots on me, so I know his capabilities and I'm quite confident he's going to pull them out next Wednesday night," Hoffman said.

"He's a very tough customer … (the Knights) really targeted him and he came through with flying colours."

with Glenn Jackson