Patrick Herbert “copped it” for not passing in the final seconds of the Titans’ elimination final last season, but the gun centre is using that moment as motivation for a much bigger and better year.

The Titans’ premiership dream was crushed in last season’s one-point loss to the Roosters.

There were so many talking points to come out of the nailbiting clash, but none bigger than Herbert’s decision not to pass to an unmarked Corey Thompson on the wing.

Trailing by a point after Sam Walker’s 77th minute field goal, the Titans had one final chance to keep their season alive.

With 20 seconds to go — enough time for one last play — the Titans threw to the right. The ball ended up in Herbert’s hands and instead of batting it onto Thompson for an almost certain try, he ran it, only to flick it out the back to Thompson when it was too late. The ball went behind the winger and over the sideline.

Thompson yelled at Herbert as he crouched down knowing the Titans’ season was over.

“Nine times out of 10, you throw the pass, but I didn’t,” Herbert recalled to Titans.com.au.

“There’s not much more I can say about it. I’ve copped it and I’ll cop it.

“I’m just really glad it happened to me and not to someone who can’t handle it.”

That moment is now water under the bridge for Herbert... well, sort of. The 25-year-old has moved on from it — but will use it as motivation.

Herbert acknowledged he made a “crucial” error, however he’s also been able to find the silver lining in the gut-wrenching end to the year.

“Obviously, it was a pretty crucial mistake of the game. I could’ve thrown the pass,” he said.

“But even just to get there, that moment aside, it is a positive we can take out as a young group, because everyone is hungry now.

“It’s lit the fire in the belly, knowing that we can play finals.”

Herbert has learnt a valuable lesson from that costly decision and as he sets his goals for 2022 you can almost guarantee that he’ll nail that pass from here on out.

Off the field, he hopes to be a role model for his two young sons.

“My goal is to just do what I can for the team footy-wise,” he said.

“I want to go deep into the finals and make sure I throw that last pass I suppose. That’s always the goal to get the bread and butter at the end of the year.

“Off the field, I just want to be someone that my kids are proud of to call their dad.

“That’s the ultimate goal. I don’t know how I do that, but that’s my goal.”