Talented footy star Josh Schuster has opened up about walking away from his Manly contract, his mental health struggles, and how he's now happier than he's been in a long while.

The 23-year-old was cut loose by Manly last month after the club had given him an indefinite break from the game to deal with personal issues.

Now Schuster is living with his parents' in their home in Liverpool, and is loving the break from everything.

'Stepping away from the game has made me the happiest I've been for a long while,' he told News Corp. 

Josh Schuster says he's happier than he's been in a long while after walking away from Manly

The talented forward had a $3.2 million dollar deal with Manly, but Schuster isn't angry about the missed opportunity.

The youngster owns several investment properties and has his mum helping manage his finances. 

'She's gives me $400 a week to live off,' Schuster said.

'Sometimes a bit more but the rest goes into savings or investments.

'Being happy beats having a lot of money anyway.'

Time away from the game has made Schuster feel like a heavy weight has been lifted from his shoulders, with the footy player also getting some professional help from a psychologist. 

'It's helping me a lot,' he said.

'For the first time I have felt comfortable to open up a little bit and talk to my psychologist about it.

'It's stuff I've been battling with for a long time that I've now been able to get off my chest and I'm feeling heaps better for it.

'It's very important for my mind and it's very important to sort out before I play again.'

Last month, Benji Marshall threw his support behind Schuster, who he has genuine sympathy for.

'Let me just say this: He's a really talented and a really good kid,' Marshall said.

'He's probably got a few issues he's dealing with at the moment. But if he got it right, there's no reason why he couldn't be a good player in the NRL. No reason.

'I think there's this perception out there that he's done.

'But if he got fitter and had a point to prove with a chip on his shoulder, in the right system he could be enormous.'

Marshall knows the pressure that can be put on youngsters as well as anyone, having been a teenage star at the Tigers.

And he believed Schuster still had the ability to cut it as a five-eighth or backrower in the NRL, once he gets things right.

'What does he want to do? That's probably the bigger question,' Marshall said.

'We've seen his talent. There's no doubt. It's early to write him off. I think he's a really good kid.'