Ricky Stuart has vowed to return to the NRL after claiming he finally took care of No.1 in quitting as Cronulla coach with one year left in the job.

Stuart shocked the rugby league community by announcing he would walk away from the Sharks after the 2010 season - handing over the reigns to long-time assistant Shane Flanagan.

Stuart's resignation capped a tumultuous two years for the club, a 24-month span which has seen the Sharks fight off bankruptcy amidst a myriad of off-field scandals and dismal on-field performances.

Through it all Stuart had stood firm, but by the end of last week, enough was enough.

"I think the time's right, it's right for me to go out and look at some new challenges and I think the timing is also certainly right for the club," Stuart said.

"I would have loved to have had some type of success here for the club - the club has been the players and the people who are so passionately mad about supporting the Sharks.

"I have loved to have been able to deliver something they've never been able to achieve in regards to a grand final.

"The timing's right for Ricky Stuart - it's probably the first decision I've made for Ricky Stuart at the Cronulla Sharks the last three years I've been here."

Stuart said he would take some time before considering his options, but denied he left the Sharks with another start already in the pipeline.

"I'm a professional coach, I want to keep coaching," Stuart said.

"England's not an option - I'm only young in my career of coaching."

Asked if he was prepared to coach next season, Stuart said:

"If the situation arises ... but it isn't at the forefront of my mind in making this decision."

Weekend reports linked Stuart with a move to Wests Tigers to replace Tim Sheens should the Tigers fail to make the finals this season, while the dual international also hosed down rumours of interest from new Super 15 franchise Melbourne Rebels.

"I'm a rugby league coach and I believe I will be a rugby league coach for many many years," Stuart said.

"I can honestly say that myself or John Fordham have not had any contact from any other football club.

"For the last three months I've been linked with the Melbourne Rebels - I didn't even know who the Rebels were when this first happened ... Melbourne Rebels, rugby union or rugby league, I haven't had any contact.

"... I've never spoken to any (NRL clubs including Tigers), and if the opportunity did arise I purely would not go anywhere near it out of the respect I have for Tim Sheens."

While Stuart said the hardest part of his resignation was telling the players, he would have at least got some joy in seeing Flanagan given his first crack at NRL level after a 14-year apprenticeship - the last six of which have been under him.

Flanagan admitted he faced a tough task in lifting the Sharks out of the doldrums, but it was a situation he had been preparing for.

"For any rookie coach to get a job there's going to be some sort of turmoil - the club's either come last or the coach hasn't been performing," Flanagan said.

"Whenever I got a job I knew that was going to be the case ... I'm just looking forward to turning it all around.

"I want to coach in the NRL - I've been working hard for it over the last couple of years."

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