The premiership-winning coach was pleasantly surprised to see the 21-year-old arrive at the premier's base on Thursday, just days after images of him and Cowboys wrecking-ball Taumalolo auditioning in front of NFL scouts were beamed back to Australia.

Ironically, Flanagan himself toured the headquarters of two NFL clubs during his world-wide fact-finding mission after the Sharks' historic triumph - including Jarryd Hayne's San Francisco 49ers - but remains confident Holmes will ink a long-term deal to stay in the Shire beyond 2017.

Holmes and Taumalolo are arguably the biggest names on a flooded player market without a confirmed home for 2018.

"They wanted to do it and I don't agree with it," Flanagan said of the non-contact trial. "He wanted to have that experience and he's had that experience now. We just need to get on with what we do.

"He's said numerous times he doesn't want to go anywhere. He's had a great year with a grand final, Test match [debut] and Four Nations and now he has to knuckle down and see if he can get himself a [Queensland] Origin jersey on the wing again."

If Holmes' flirtation with the NFL is playing on his mind, he's not letting it show after visiting Sharks teammates as they returned for the summer slog and smashed previous pre-season testing records.

Holmes has been busily preparing to move into an apartment with State of Origin star and clubmate Jack Bird and has a new role on the field to master.

Having jockeyed for the fullback position in 2017, which was eventually won by Ben Barba, who has since been released from his contract after testing positive to cocaine just four days after the grand final, Holmes is a shoo-in for the No.1 next year and will curb his break after the Four Nations to prepare for the role.

"He's going to come in a bit earlier than everyone else and do a bit of homework and video stuff with coaches about positional play and how he needs to change his mindset from what he's been doing the last 12 months when he's been predominantly on the wing," Flanagan said.

"He'll pick it up pretty quickly and last pre-season he dabbled in that position. He can catch up with those fullback skills."

Flanagan, who also visited English Premier League giants Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham during his end-of-season trip, was ecstatic with the times recorded of his squad after a brutal testing regime this week.

The Sharks will play Wigan in the World Club Challenge before opening the NRL season and their title defence against the Broncos at Southern Cross Group Stadium on March 2.

"The first day back we've blown all of our records out of the park, which is great," Flanagan said. "I thought we were in the best shape we've ever been this year heading into the semi-finals. It's probably been a two year process to get them in the physical shape that they were in.

"We'll have a good December and January and we'll be OK, but we're a long way ahead of where we've been before."