Shane Flanagan has not hidden his desire to return to the NRL as a head coach but emphasised he was fully committed to working under Paul McGregor.
The former Sharks premiership-winning coach has joined Cronulla's bitter local rivals St George Illawarra on a one-year deal as McGregor's assistant coach following the lifting of his suspension.
The NRL announced in September that Flanagan would not be allowed to return to a head coaching role in the NRL until 2022 at the earliest.
Flanagan met with NRL CEO Todd Greenberg where a path to return to a head coaching role was laid out, with the governing body allowing Flanagan to become an assistant coach this season.
That opened the door for Flanagan to join St George Illawarra.
The Dragons suffered through a dismal 2019 campaign, prompting a football department review.
The review, conducted in part by respected administrator and former premiership and State of Origin-winning coach Phil Gould, concluded with a number of key personnel and structural changes.
Flanagan spoke publicly for the first time wearing Dragons colours in Wollongong on Thursday and said he didn't watch much rugby league while he was suspended, except for following his son Kyle's progress at Cronulla. He watched footy more as a parent and a fan, far less than an NRL coach would.
He acknowledged he will need to bite his tongue at times in the coach's box alongside McGregor but made it clear he wanted to respect his role at the Dragons.
"[The team's defence will be] my main focus but I'll help Mary in all aspects of the footy club and the coaching. But my first, main focus is concentrating on the defensive aspect of the team and where I can help Mary with other aspects of our attack," he said.
"I'm enjoying it. It's early days. I've got a good relationship with Paul and the rest of the staff.
"Life throws up a lot of different challenges and I've just got to deal with this one.
"[I] 100 per cent [want to be a head coach again]. That's what I want to do, when and where that opportunity comes time will tell. But that's what I feel I do for a profession and at some point I'll be back."
While Flanagan has traded the black, white and blue for the red V, he is still held in high regard in the shire having led Cronulla to their historic maiden premiership in 2016.
Flanagan resigned from his role as Cronulla head coach in January last year. The NRL deregistered Flanagan in December, 2018 and fined the Sharks $800,000 after the governing body found he had breached the terms of his 12-month suspension in 2014 for his role in the club's peptides scandal due to his communications with the club that year.
That fine was later reduced to $500,000 because of the club's eventual acceptance and acknowledgement of their wrongdoing.
Flanagan, who was named coach of Cronulla's team of the half century, said at the time the decision to resign had been one of the toughest of his 36-year career in rugby league.
"This is what I do for a profession. I've done it all my life. Not being able to get up in the morning and go and do what you love doing in being around footy players and a footy club, when you've done it all your life and you can't do it it hurts," he said.
"It was a tough 12 months or so but it's behind me now and I'm going to make sure this year is really enjoyable [and I'll] work really hard. And from what I've seen at the moment this club is working really hard to make a change and I'm glad to be part of it.
"We've got to remember the reason I was off was for something that happened in 2012. I've changed in '15, '16, '17, '18, '19, this was something that happened a long, long time ago. I paid the price for it last year. I changed after that, the change has already happened a long time ago.
"My coaching is not going to change. I think I've got the runs on the board over those periods. Every side I've coached has been in the semi-finals, I've won a grand final. That's not the issue. Why I was suspended was a long, long time ago."
Flanagan made it clear he never considered coaching overseas and remained committed to what he called "unfinished business" in the NRL.
At the top of that list is leading another club to a premiership. And he believes the Dragons are well placed to improve on their poor 2019 season.
"Every team has its challenges and the Dragons definitely do. We've got an outstanding forward pack that can hold its gloves up against most football teams. We've got two representative halves, we're going to have a young fullback in there more than likely and we've got some young outside backs," he said.
"I feel we just need some of those outside backs to stand up and have a good year and the Dragons will have a good year. If things keep going the way they're going at the moment the Dragons will have a good year.
"It's like when players change clubs. There's always that little burning desire to do well against your other club. I love Cronulla, I love the players, I love the supporters, it's a fantastic club but once we play against them it'll be interesting. Same with the Roosters, I've got to deal with coaching against my son there so that'll be interesting as well. But they're all challenges and something I'm looking forward to.
"I just need to get a feel for the place, the coaches and especially the players. It'll take a bit of time but I'm getting there. But I'm really enjoying it.
"From what I've seen so far, I can't comment too much on what went on here last year, but what I'm seeing at the moment is really impressive from the staff right through to all the players. They're really having a go, I'm not quite sure what the changes are [from last year] but I definitely know they're working hard and in a good place at the moment."
