Star Cronulla recruit Ben Barba has revealed he thought he may have to switch codes from the NRL after being cut loose by Brisbane.

But the game-breaking back is confident the off-field demons that blighted him during his time with Canterbury won’t re-emerge after returning to Sydney.

The Sharks will play Barba at five-eighth, rather than at fullback where he made his name and won the 2012 Dally Medal with Canterbury, as coach Shane Flanagan said they already have one of the best fullbacks in the competition in Michael Gordon.

Cronulla’s move for Barba ended a brief period of uncertainty for him, as he said being cut by new Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett came as “a bit of a shock.”

He was worried about providing for his young family, with his partner recently giving birth to their third child.

“There was a bit of a thought that I wasn’t go to end up at a club and I might have to switch codes,” newly-arrived Barba said at Cronulla training on Thursday.

“It was was really worrying me, that I might not end up at a club, because with the salary cap some teams can’t fit you in.”

Barba rose to prominence with his dazzling form in 2012 but off-field issues in 2013 halted his momentum and he moved to Brisbane for the 2014 season, when he was again unable re recapture anything like his 2012 form.

“The footy I’ve played the last two years hasn’t been too crash hot,” Barba admitted.

He was confident he now had the maturity to stay out of trouble off the field.

“If ever things start going wrong, I’ll still seek help, but at the moment I think I’m doing pretty well with the people I have in my life,” Barba said.

Flanagan hit out at media stories about how much the Sharks were paying Barba and for reporting the club had banned him from living in the Cronulla area.

“We need to stop these ridiculous rumours and innuendo about our club,” Flanagan said.

“Our board and myself have always stood up and tried to get the truth out there.

“He’s been here 24 hours and there’s two ridiculous stories about Ben Barba not living in Cronulla.

“(That) he won’t be living in Cronulla has been Ben’s decision, not anyone else’s.”

Flanagan said the Sharks hoped to announce more signings soon and confirmed their interest in Kyle Stanley and Gerard Beale.