Cronulla admit the abrupt departure of Valentine Holmes has left them with a huge void that they didn’t immediately know how to fill.

The Sharks suddenly have an extra million dollars a season to spend after granting Holmes a release from his 2019 contract a season early so the representative ace can chase a career in the NFL.

After terminating Ben Barba’s contract following his cocaine-fuelled grand final celebrations in 2016 and then losing Jack Bird last year to Brisbane, Holmes is the third star fullback in as many seasons to leave the Sharks.

If coach Shane Flanagan has any ideas about a possible new No.1 to fill the boots of their 2018 leading try scorer, he wasn’t sharing them publicly on Tuesday.

“Appreciate the interest but we won’t be speculating on a replacement,” Flanagan told AAP.

Co-captain Wade Graham said the Sharks had been blindsided by Holmes’s request for a release but insisted teammates harboured no ill-feelings towards the Queensland State of Origin and Australian Test flyer.

“It’s bittersweet as a club,” Graham said.

“He’s coming off a season where he was our best player by a long way and he’s been an integral part of our success for the last few years.

“As a teammate and from a club’s perspective, he’s going to be a big hole for us to fill.

“But, on a friendship level, the challenge that he’s accepted to go and try his hand in the NFL, we wish him all the best.

“It’s going to be exciting to watch his journey and see how far he can take it.”

Graham suspected Flanagan would turn to Matt Moylan or Josh Dugan to play fullback.

With Flanagan’s talented son Kyle blooded this year, moving Moylan to the back would appear the safest option.

“Obviously this has all happened so fast. This has been really the last 48 hours,” Graham said.

“We were looking at maybe having that challenge of filling the void next year if he was to move on, but it’s happened a lot quicker.

“But, off the top of my head, we’ve got Josh Dugan in the squad, Matty Moylan in the squad, both who have played at international level in the fullback role.

“Val’s going to be a big loss but the beauty about rugby league is that the next exciting prospect is only around the corner.

“So there might be the next Valentine Holmes in our system already and we’re just waiting to get him an opportunity.”