State of Origin 2018: Valentine Holmes to take Queensland’s goalkicking duties
WITH his goalkicking options decimated, Kevin Walters has turned to the man who deputises for his own club’s first choice. But the Maroons coach is confident Valentine Holmes can handle the pressure.
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IT’s official — Valentine Holmes will be Queensland’s goalkicker in Origin I.
Queensland’s three-way shootout is finally over with Holmes edging out Dane Gagai and Cameron Munster to clinch the crucial goalkicking duties for the series opener on Wednesday night at the MCG.
The representative retirements of Cameron Smith and Johnathan Thurston has decimated Queensland’s goalkicking options, leaving the Maroons without a regular sharpshooter for Game One.
But Holmes has been installed as Queensland’s goalkicker, with the Maroons winger, who deputises for Cronulla’s Chad Townsend at club level, convincing coach Kevin Walters he can handle the pressure.
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“We expect Valentine to be kicking for us,” Walters said.
“He’s not kicking in clubland but he’s always practising, Cameron Munster was an option too but we felt Valentine was the best option at this stage.
“If we get a chance to have a shot then he will be the man to do it.”
Walters made his decision in consultation with Maroons assistant coach Josh Hannay, who was an accomplished goalkicker for the Cowboys during his 10-year NRL career.
The shootout began at Queensland’s first session on Tuesday when Gagai and Holmes lined up a series of conversions.
Holmes has been the most accurate goalkicking throughout the week. He effectively sealed the deal at Queensland’s most important training session on Sunday, when he was the only player having shots at goal under the watchful eye of Hannay.
Holmes, who scored a hat-trick of tries in last year’s Origin decider, says he won’t be fazed by the pressure if required to land a Thurston-style sideline matchwinner.
“I wouldn’t go into it being nervous,” he said.
“I like to be confident and think of it as another kick in front, so I just try and strike the ball as clean as I can.
“I have taken it seriously in training. It’s not going to be a muck around, ‘JT’ won the game last year (in Origin II) with a conversion so it’s something we have to take seriously and pick the right person for it.”
Originally published as State of Origin 2018: Valentine Holmes to take Queensland’s goalkicking duties
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