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Veteran Joel Thompson is set to join Super League powerhouse St Helens next year after being granted a release by Manly.

He may not be allowed to talk about it, but he's definitely thinking about it.

And it'll be one of the major motivations for Manly second-rower Joel Thompson as he inches towards completing his final season in the NRL.

Thompson, who signed for the Sea Eagles until the end of next year, is set to join Super League powerhouse St Helens in 2021 after being granted a release.

A veteran of 13 years in first grade, the closest the 31-year-old has come to a premiership is a semi-final appearance with Canberra eight years ago.

And while lifting a trophy would be a fairytale finish, he dares not talk about how far this Manly outfit can go in his final crack in the NRL.

"I'll get in trouble if I start talking about that," Thompson said on Tuesday.

"We've got a lot of belief in this team and we know we've got another tough challenge this weekend against (the Canberra) Raiders.

"I'm just going to do my absolute best, give my all, as I always do, and continue doing that and finish on a high."

Asked whether it was a Des Hasler rule not to talk about premiership chances, Thompson said: "Yeah, we keep it humble here and we just work hard.

"We fly under the radar.

"We know what we've got here. We've just got to make sure we just keep working, week in, week out. That's all I can give away or I'll get in trouble."

A Sea Eagles supporter in his youth, Thompson joined the club in 2018 after stints with the Raiders and St George Illawarra.

Corey Waddell, who is currently off-contract, is likely to be a candidate to fill Thompson's spot long-term, as well as Jack Gosiewski.