Cronulla's marquee signing Todd Carney has promised to let his football do the talking as he embarks on his last chance in the NRL.
The former Canberra and Roosters playmaker will debut for his new club on Friday night in a trial match against premiers Manly at Shark Park.
The 25-year-old was cut loose by the Roosters in 2011 after violating a player-imposed alcohol ban.
He was thrown a lifeline by the struggling Sharks and is confident he can repay his new club's leap of faith.
"I'm feeling really good, I've settled into the place really well," Carney said in his first interview since joining the Shire club.
"It didn't end great (at the Roosters) but I'm here at the Sharks now and that's what I'm looking forward to."
"Hopefully I can bring some different attack to the Sharks, but it's going to be a team effort and that's the way we're going to play, as a team, and I think we should go alright."
"I just want to play some good football and get the Sharks back to where we know we can be and am looking forward to (playing) football."
Carney has had a long and troubled association with alcohol and is wary about declaring his problems are over.
But he revealed Cronulla's firm but sensible code of conduct regarding drinking was working well for both parties.
"The club's been really good in that area and I've been good in that area, just knowing my limitations and I'm going along fine and that's the least of my worries at the moment," Carney said.
"Every rugby league player has to live up to that (public and media scrutiny) and I've probably been in the papers a lot more than everyone else."
"I expect that and I'm just happy to go about my own business."
"I've got a game Friday night and training's been really good and that's my main focus."
Asked what his goals for the season were, Carney responded: "You set yourself goals at the start of every season and I don't make mine public."
"But definitely there's a few things driving me to get back to the form of 2010 and if I can do that hopefully I can achieve the goals that I've set myself for 2012."
"Playing rugby league, that's what I like to do and that's the best thing about being at Cronulla."
"It's a good bunch of blokes and everyone's been really good and I'm just excited."
Coach Shane Flanagan, who will start Carney at half-back on Friday night alongside five-eighth Wade Graham, acknowledged how far the former Dally M winner had come in a short time.
"Everyone says leopards don't change their spots but we're just concentrating on Todd Carney on the football field and if you get that right, we've seen how good he can be," he said.
"So it's a work in progress and I'm glad we've got him."