Valentine Holmes linked to bombshell Dragons move as Shane Flanagan plans bold roster overhaul
Holmes has been granted permission to test the open market.
Kangaroos and Maroons centre Valentine Holmes has been granted permission by the Cowboys to test the open market, with the Dragons set to put the representative star at the top of their wish list. Holmes is about to enter the final year of his NRL contract worth around $1 million a season and North Queensland are reportedly willing to let him go at the end of the year, 12 months before his deal expires.
The Cowboys' salary cap is at breaking point with Holmes, Tom Dearden, Jason Taumalolo, Jeremiah Nanai, Scott Drinkwater and Jeremiah Nanai all on mega-money deals. While the likes of NSW hooker Reece Robson and Queensland star and co-captain Reuben Cotter are set to enter the final 12 months of their deals on November 1 and both would likely require a decent pay bump on their next deal to keep them at the club.
Holmes leaving early could therefore theoretically create the space required to allow the club to lock down those core team members. While in recent weeks young Jaxon Purdue has emerged as a star in the making in the centres and that may have convinced the Cowboys to allow Holmes to leave the club after what has been an underwhelming 2024 campaign so far.
Holmes' agent Chris Orr told The Daily Telegraph the North Queensland star has been told he can test the open market despite being interested in keeping him at the club. “Val is a Queensland Origin star and he is coming off-contract on November 1,” Orr said. “So we are looking to sit down with the Cowboys early and extend him.
“By gaining early permission we are able to get to the negotiation table early. The Cowboys have indicated they wish for Val to stay.”
A potential destination for Holmes would be the Red V, who have made it priority No.1 to lock down a marquee signing. And with Zac Lomax bound for Parramatta at the end of the season, the Maroons star could be the perfect replacement.
The Dragons are also in the hunt for Eels youngster Blaize Talagi and are keen on adding size to their forward pack. Coach Shane Flanagan has had a successful first year in charge of the Red V and has made no secret of his desire to overhaul the roster, already securing South Sydney hooker Damien Cook for next season and holding talks with Newcastle forward Daniel Saifiti.
While Holmes and Talagi would add some much-needed strike power to the Dragons backline, with the former offering flexibility to play centre, on the wing or fullback. He also would be a great goal-kicking addition, with Lomax leaving a gaping hole in that department as well.
The Dragons, unlike the Cowboys, have an abundance of space in their salary cap and could easily offer Holmes a multi-year contract, something North Queensland may not be able to do. Holmes also has a strong relationship with Flanagan, with the Dragons coach not only handing Holmes his NRL debut at Cronulla in 2014 but the pair also shared in the Sharks’ premiership win in 2016. Holmes remained at Cronulla until he tried his hand in the NFL in 2019 before returning to rugby league north of the border in 2020 on a mega six-year contract that expires at the end of next season.
Shane Flanagan's brutal admission after Panthers defeat
Following the Dragons' 46-10 flogging at the hands of Penrith on Saturday, Flanagan conceded St George Illawarra on that performance don't deserve to make finals. In front of their first sold-out crowd in Wollongong in 17 years, the Dragons turned in arguably their worst performance of 2024 against the three-time defending premiers.
Out of the contest from the opening frame, the Dragons were repeatedly carved open by Nathan Cleary as the halfback ran riot with three tries and two assists. The Red V are not the first team to be dismantled by Cleary this year and they probably won't be the last, but their finals hopes are now under serious threat.
While the Dragons could have entered the top eight with a win, they instead are out of a finals position with just six weeks to go. And they face a torrid next fortnight, playing Melbourne in Melbourne next Saturday night before facing the in-form Canterbury the following week. "It's a race to the semis. We don't deserve to be there if we don't pick our act up and play better than we did today," Flanagan said.
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"It was probably the worst performance of the year for us, with the circumstances around it. Really disappointing, it was a big day, beautiful day playing against the premiers. We got off to a really bad start. Everything they did well, we didn't do."
with AAP
