With just seconds left on the clock in the 2015 Auckland Nines decider, the Sharks looked to their youngest player to salvage their tournament hopes.
Despite Jack Bird's late try, the side remained two points in arrears - only before Valentine Holmes' late field goal conversion sent the game into extra time.
But with the remarkable effort unable to earn the side the AKL9s trophy, Holmes made his 2016 intentions clear ahead of the competition's third instalment.
"I want to bring that trophy home," Holmes said.
"Definitely we could do it. We won all of our games last year, except the last one, but I reckon we can go one step further."
Holmes, alongside the rest of the NRL squad, returned to pre-season training at Shark Park today. While the focus of the playing group remains primarily on the 2016 season proper, the 20-year-old Queenslander said he is excited to play in next month's short-form competition.
"It's (pre-season) been pretty tough, heavy on the legs, but it's been good," Holmes said.
"I feel good, my body feels good. There's no injuries so far. I feel fit, I feel strong.
"Drewy (Sharks Physical Performance Manager Andrew Gray) is saying I'm at my best, so I'm really pumped for the Nines.
"It's a fun environment over there, the atmosphere is awesome, all the Sharks fans are crazy over there.
"We'd love to bring the trophy home for them."
