Colin Scotts says Valentine Holmes has jeopardised his NRL career for NFL pipe dream
He was never “big enough, fast enough or strong enough” to cut it in the NFL and now Valentine Holmes has been warned not to expect to be an instant superstar on his NRL return.
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The first Australian to crack American football has issued a blunt warning to departing New York Jets player Val Holmes — don’t come back to rugby league expecting to be a champion.
And Colin Scotts, an ex-defensive tackle for St Louis Cardinals and Houston Oilers, said Holmes was “never going to make” the NFL because he wasn’t “big enough, fast enough or strong enough”.
Holmes has secured a release from the NFL and has signed a six-year deal with North Queensland.
The Sydney-born Scotts knows the physical demands on training with an NFL squad and questioned whether Holmes could recapture his blistering form that made him a star for the Cronulla Sharks, Queensland and Australia.
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“He shouldn’t come back here and think he will be a superstar,” Scotts said.
“The game in one year can evolve very quickly. Val wouldn’t want to rest on his laurels and I’m sure he won’t. There hasn’t been an athlete that has come back and excelled.
“Players who move away lose momentum or drive. It’s a risk.
“I thought Jarryd (Hayne) would have come back faster, stronger and be a superstar but he didn’t. He went the other way. It was as if the NRL had taken off without him. It was amazing.
“You lose the rhythm of the game. You lose confidence, it’s a weird thing. It will be a massive challenge for Valentine but let’s hope he can do it because we’ve all missed him and he’s great for rugby league. He’s an X-factor who puts bums on seats.
“I don’t want to be negative but the trouble is when players leave and then return, they never seem to play better than when they left. That’s a fact. They never live up to expectations that they had before they left.”
Scotts praised Holmes’ courage for trying another sport but revealed a deep doubt over whether the former Sharks fullback was ever going to succeed in America.
And Scotts said other NRL players chasing an NFL dream should also be careful.
“It’s been a rude awakening. He honestly believed he could do it and he had a serious crack. But, in my mind, he was never going to make it,” Scotts said. “Mate, he was never going to be big enough, fast enough or strong enough.
“There are a million athletes of his ability who have been playing the game and been bred on it since they were five.
“I was asked from day one and never thought he could make it. He had to pay his dues — it was a little insulting to people like me — play in the Australian gridiron league or put some years in at college — put some hard yards in.
“The reality is if rugby league guys think they can go over there without any pre-training and walk into the NFL… reality, boys. You have to pay your respects and learn your trade.
“You go over there and have to learn a Chinese language upside down. Physically you are running into a brick wall 100 times a day wearing a helmet.
“Your brain is going to be rattled like never before. It’s not fair that a 23-year-old to think he can run into the most explosive, competitive game in the world.
“I’m proud Valentine had a crack and chased his dream but rugby league guys have to come to the reality that you have less than 0.1 percent chance of making it and you can get seriously hurt.
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“I don’t think he was ever going to be able to understand the game that quickly. It’s too complicated a game in that position.
“You have to question why these players are quitting. It’s not a good look. They have been given spots on practice squads which is still an honour.
“Hayne and Holmes have both quit. The question is will it stop the dream of Australian footballers wanting to go over and having a crack?
“It’s also very tempting to come back to $1 million contracts in rugby league when they’re only on $150,000 on America. They’re not actually on the team, they’re on the practice squad. They’re punching bags getting belted up all week and not playing.”