Cronulla are rallying around Josh Dugan after he bared his soul to the world just days out from Friday’s do-or-die NRL semi-final against Penrith.

The Sharks say they have no concerns about their strike weapon and his headspace following his emotional outburst to a packed media scrum on Tuesday.

The former NSW and Australian centre fought back tears as he detailed how he had worked hard to repair his battered reputation but felt he’d been permanently tarred after being sacked by Canberra in 2013.

Sharks coach Shane Flanagan said the club had thrown its welfare resource behind Dugan and the whole club had put an arm around him.

“The whole club has (rallied around him),” Flanagan said.

“With all our players we’ve got to make sure they’re okay. They’re big and strong but sometimes we need to look a little bit deeper.

“It’s come out and we can address it now at another level. We have been addressing it but we can address it at another level.”

Flanagan said Dugan’s comments highlighted the importance of mental health and encouraging young men to talk about their struggles.

He said he had no concerns about whether the player was in the right frame of mind heading into Friday’s clash with the Panthers at Allianz Stadium.

“We’re working hard with him behind the scenes and it’s a delicate situation,” Flanagan said.

“Maybe it was a good thing for Josh to get it off his chest. He’s been okay.”

Dugan is expected to move to the wing to make way for Jesse Ramien (ankle) against the Sharks.

Flanagan said Dugan was vital to their chances and he was brought to the club because he is a proven performer on the big stage.

“He’s a big game player and he’s had a disrupted season this year because of a fracture in his lower leg,” Flanagan said.

“It’s good to get him back and there’s bigger issues but we have to have respect for the player and his family. We’ll just deal with in private.”