Valentine Holmes has imposed a strict midnight curfew on himself after being banned from Origin

CRONULLA rising star Valentine Holmes has imposed a strict midnight curfew on himself following the boozy Queensland Origin drama.

Cronulla Sharks

VALENTINE Holmes has imposed a strict midnight curfew on himself following the boozy Queensland Origin drama, saying: “What happened that night ... you won’t see anything like it again”.

In his most revealing interview since being arrested and banned from Origin for a year, the “embarrassed” Cronulla star said he had made a number of behavioural changes following last month’s headlines.

Better, several Sharks teammates have also adopted the midnight deadline in a show of support for Holmes.

One of the game’s most exciting young players, the 20-year-old also talked positively about a private meeting called by Cronulla and NSW Origin captain Paul Gallen, two days after the controversy broke.

During the meeting, which was also attended by senior Sharks players Michael Ennis, Luke Lewis and Wade Graham, Holmes realised it was one thing to promise change — and another to create it.

“So I’ve put curfews on myself,’’ he revealed during a club bonding camp at Terrigal. “I’m being a lot more strict on myself and ensuring I’m home by midnight.

“The boys have been doing it with me too which is good.”

Holmes is one of eight Queenslanders banned from playing Origin this year after breaking curfew during an Emerging Maroons camp.

VALENTINE HOLMES - QLD EMERGING ORIGIN SQUAD - PHOTO: SCOTT DAVIS - SMP IMAGES.COM - 10th January 2015 - Images from the annual Queensland State of Origin Emerging Squad training camp, being held at QSAC (Queensland Sports and Atheletics Centre), Brisbane. This image is for Editorial Use Only. Any further use or individual sale of the image must be cleared by application to the Manager Sports Media Publishing (SMP Images). NO UN AUTHORISED COPYING : PHOTO SMP IMAGES.COM

The Cronulla winger was also arrested and fined the same night following an altercation with a cab driver.

Asked how it felt being the undisputed face of the saga, Holmes said: “I was embarrassed.

“Embarrassed for my actions. Embarrassed to be banned from Origin.

“My family, friends, the boys here at Cronulla know it wasn’t me. Well, it was me but it wasn’t my character.

“It was one incident and it won’t happen again.

“You won’t see anything like that happen ever again.”

Certainly, those closest to the Townsville product agree.

“Valentine is such a good kid,” Ennis said. “Take his football ability away, he’s a really good young man.

“So when you see a teammate hurting (like he was), it’s important he knew we cared.

“Knowing that no matter what challenges he faced on or off the field, there were people he could lean on.”

So the meeting wasn’t about delivering a kick up the arse?

“No, not at all,’’ the hooker continued. “I was about how to move forward.

“You can dwell on incidents like that, beat yourself up over them. But we’ve all made mistakes and what’s important is where you go from there.

“And sometimes to move forward, you need good people around for advice. That’s the positive thing about footy clubs, you’re not isolated.

“And he’s a good kid, Val. He’s handled it well and moved on.”

Asked about the meeting with Gallen and co., Holmes said the discussion not only made him “happier” but comfortable to get himself back into training and, as a result, the public spotlight.

“I’m glad it’s happened to me now when I’m younger, when I can learn from it,’’ he said. “And as the years go on I will definitely have that in the back of my mind.”