Cowboys respond to Valentine Holmes development after reports about Dragons switch

The Cowboys insist the uncertainty around Valentine Holmes' future is not a distraction as they look to cement their spot in the NRL finals. Holmes has been granted permission to speak to rival clubs despite having another 12 months to run on his contract after this season, with the Dragons emerging as an early frontrunner for his signature.

North Queensland have made it clear they would prefer to keep their Maroons and Kangaroos rep star, who is reportedly earning around $1 million per season. But the club is facing a tricky salary cap squeeze with Holmes, Tom Dearden, Jason Taumalolo, Jeremiah Nanai, Scott Drinkwater and Jeremiah Nanai all on big-money deals.

Co-captain Reuben Cotter and NSW hooker Reece Robson are also set to enter the final 12 months of their deals and will also be free to speak with rival clubs from November 1 if they don't extend before then. It's expected both players would be in line for upgrades to their current deals due to their form for club and state.

The situation leaves the Cowboys facing a tricky salary cap reality and a dilemma around trying to keep hold of their best players. Granting Holmes an early exit from his current contract could create some of the necessary space in the cap for North Queensland to lock down many of their core stars.

Cowboys not distracted by Valentine Holmes contract saga

There is some risk the situation with Holmes could cause unwanted distractions for the Cowboys and potentially derail their finals push. The Cowboys are sixth and have one bye to come, meaning they will likely need two more wins - starting with Thursday night's match against the last-placed Wests Tigers - to guarantee their spot in the finals.

But Robson refutes the idea that the uncertainty around Holmes' future is a distraction for the team. "He is a great mate of mine and I love playing alongside him here," Robson said. "(Holmes's future) is a deal for himself, his managers and the club to sort out. For us, he is just doing his job like he does every week as are we. The other (contract stuff) will take care of itself."

The Holmes contract situation has seen the Origin star linked with a potential move to the Dragons in 2025, with Shane Flanagan's side in the hunt for a marquee signing to replace Parramatta-bound Zac Lomax. The Dragons, unlike the Cowboys, have an abundance of space in their salary cap and could easily offer Holmes a multi-year contract.

Holmes also has a strong relationship with Flanagan after being handed his NRL debut by the former Sharks coach in 2014. The pair also shared in Cronulla's premiership triumph in 2016. And Cowboys halfback Chad Townsend - who is set to leave North Queensland for the Roosters next season - says it's no surprise to see rival clubs circling a player of Holmes' quality.

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"He is a world-class player who has done it all," Townsend said. "(Testing the market) doesn't necessarily mean he won't be here next year because he still has a contract for next season. I am sure it will all get sorted, but this sort of news is always heightened with a class player like Val."

The Cowboys can take a giant step towards qualifying for the finals with a win against the Tigers at Leichhardt Oval on Thursday night but they'll have to do it without key forwards Jason Taumalolo and Cotter, who were both concussed in last week's win over the Sharks. Taumalolo also fractured his cheek bone and will consult a surgeon to see how many games he misses but the Cowboys will welcome Heilum Luki back after the second-rower missed the Sharks match with hamstring tightness.

with AAP