"It's in the back of your mind when you start a season and are off contract," Sharpe conceded.
"I'm just looking at my options and as the year unfolds I'll get closer to making a decision. I've had a bit of interest from everywhere, but I want to get all options on the table before deciding.
"My decision will come down to a number of things. How I feel about playing in Australia, how my family feels and the opportunities that present themselves."
After an unsuccessful 2007 World Cup with the Wallabies in France, Sharpe is also tossing up whether to put his body through another rigorous regime before the 2011 event in New Zealand.
"It took me a good month or so to get over the World Cup, so it takes a little to bounce back from that," Sharpe added.
"I took a good break, though, organised my off-season well and I feel as fresh as I ever have now."
Sharpe's focus has now turned to guiding the Force to the Super 14 semi-finals this year, and he is confident his team is capable of achieving this goal.
"Motivation is to make sure we improve from where we stopped halfway through last season. We started well before falling into a hole, so if we maintain our focus for the whole season it will stand us in good stead for a finals berth," he said.
"We learned a lot last year as a group, but our inexperience showed through the second half. We have spoken about making sure we keep on track as the season progresses."
The Force's final trial match before the season proper is against the Queensland Reds on Thursday, and Sharpe is looking forward to a tough hit out before the regular season commences.
"It will be a good hit out for us and will get us ready for the Super 14 kick off in Durban.
"The Queensland Reds are a very big forward pack and that's what we will encounter against the Sharks in round one."







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