He was the subject of his own messy release from the English Super League to the Sharks, but James Segeyaro insists Ben Barba would be a huge asset for Cronulla if he was to seek an early NRL return.

Segeyaro was central to wrangling between his former employer, Leeds, and the Sharks over a transfer fee when he agitated for a return to Australia before his contract ended and knows better than most the intricacies of breaking a Super League deal.

Cronulla premiership winner Barba has been a sensation for St Helens this year and is on course to win the Super League's Man of Steel award, but he remains under contract with the English giants until the end of next year.

While the Sharks have said they would welcome Barba back to the club one day, they are not persuading him to add to their glut of fullback options for the start of next season.

Segeyaro effectively walked out on Leeds before the beginning of the 2017 season, which led to months of training on his own as the Sharks tried to work out a fee to compensate the Rhinos.