Rookie Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon isn't stressing about a potential mass roster exodus despite a slew senior players, including captain Wade Graham, coming off contract this year.
Also unsigned for 2023 are established forwards Briton Nikora, Braden Hamlin-Uele, Jack Williams, Royce Hunt, Andrew Fifita and Aiden Tolman, playmaker Matt Moylan and outside back Mawene Hiroti.
While expansion team the Dolphins are among the clubs actively recruiting ahead of their NRL admission next season, Fitzgibbon said the Sharks will calmly follow a retention strategy.
"We're trying to stick to that plan and talk to some guys we want to keep around," Fitzgibbon told AAP.
"It's important not to overreact to anything at this stage. We're stable and hopefully the environment ... allows the players to want to stay and play for the Sharks.
"We want to be competitive and try not to lose our own players, but it can get very hard in the marketplace."
Fitzgibbon confirmed Graham will once again be the club's sole skipper in 2022.
After missing the back-half of last season following a worrying spate of head knocks, the skilful second-rower is back at full health and hasn't missed a training session all summer.
"He's been remarkably durable," Fitzgibbon said of the 31-year-old.
"He's in good spirits, he's really happy, he's been a really good performer throughout the pre-season."
Graham and most of the more experienced Sharks players won't feature in Sunday's trial against Penrith at CommBank Stadium with Fitzgibbon to give his younger talent a run.
When he gets his first-choice team on the park, Fitzgibbon noted the challenge of navigating the "never-ending dance" between being gritty and flamboyant.
"The guys get excited by the opportunity to create with the ball, so we don't want to stifle it at all," he said.
"But if you're constantly turning the ball over it makes for a rough afternoon a lot of the time.
"There's definitely a balance on how to keep the skills and excitement with the ball but also stay in control."
Fitzgibbon will tread his own path as an NRL mentor following a distinguished playing career and lengthy coaching apprenticeship under Trent Robinson at the Sydney Roosters.
"Rugby league is quite unique, but we're always looking for snippets of information from other coaching and other sports," he said.
"I have a thirst for knowledge and I'm happy to pick up any help and hints.
"But you've got to land on your own style and your own way, otherwise you're just trying to mimic something that's been done before."
He tipped winger Ronaldo Mulitalo to continue his rise, declaring the 22-year-old has "more gears in him that we haven't seen yet".
