‘They have no reason not to pick him’: Valentine Holmes receives strong support to retain Qld spot as he eyes off Origin records

Valentine Holmes’ Maroons spot was up in the air last year, but a strong start to life at the Dragons has him on track to keep it as he closes in on a couple of records.

Valentine Holmes is well aware that the Queensland jersey won’t just be handed straight back to him when the squad for the series opener is announced in less than two weeks, but his teammates say he’s done more than enough to retain his spot in the team as he eyes off a couple of State of Origin records.

Holmes has been a regular in the Queensland team with 13 tries from 19 appearances to sit just five behind Greg Inglis’ all-time record 18 four-pointers.

He’s also in third spot in terms of points scored in Origin, although he’s still 86 behind Johnathan Thurston, who played an extra 18 games for his state.

But Holmes deserves the chance to add to his tally this year after a couple of outstanding performances for the Dragons, including a season-high 244m and a try against the Tigers at Magic Round.

Valentine Holmes has always performed strongly for Queensland. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

“It’s always a goal and I’m always up for selection,” he said, with Holmes the logical goalkicker and favourite to be left centre now that Melbourne’s Jack Howarth (shoulder) is unavailable.

“I haven’t spoken to anyone yet. I’m just trying to keep my circle small and focus on the Dragons, the club and getting wins here.

“The only way you can put your best foot forward is to play well, play consistently and get wins on the weekend. That’s when selectors start taking notice.”

Holmes played the first two games of the 2024 series in the centres but shifted to the wing for the decider, which Queensland lost at home, with the electrifying outside back revealing why he hasn’t heard from anyone at the Maroons lately.

“We have a catch-up at the start of pre-season and then he’ll (Slater) leave you alone,” Holmes explained.

“But we’ve always known that it’s a jersey that you have to earn. It’s not something that’s given to you just because you played a few games the previous year.

The Maroons are desperate to bounce back from last year’s series loss on home soil. Picture: Adam Head

“Any Queenslander who’s played under Billy knows you have to earn it, and that comes with the way you train, the way you play and the way you carry yourself.

“I don’t think I’ve lost too many at Suncorp, especially a decider like that. It was disappointing. It was a great game of footy and very physical, but we didn’t get the win.

“It would have been a nice three-peat, but the good thing about footy is that you get to play the next year, turn up and get to work.”

Dragons teammate Corey Allan played one Origin game alongside Holmes in Queensland’s famous 2020 series victory and said it was a no-brainer for the strike centre to be picked again.

“He’s been playing phenomenally well,” he said.

“Our results don’t help, but he’s been killing it. The last however many years he’s been in Origin, he’s always turned up. They have no reason not to pick him. I’m sure with his form he’ll get picked anyway.”

Holmes has been a constant attacking threat for the Dragons. Picture: Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

Holmes didn’t want to talk up his own form in his first year at the Dragons, but he’s relishing Dean Young’s defensive system and has formed a lethal combination on the left edge with Clint Gutherson.

“It’s hard to talk about yourself as an individual when we’re not getting the team results,” he said after having a few defensive issues last year.

“I feel like I’m probably in the same situation that I was in last year (at the Cowboys). We weren’t really winning too many games, but I was still playing all right.

“I’ll leave it up to you guys to judge that.”

Originally published as ‘They have no reason not to pick him’: Valentine Holmes receives strong support to retain Qld spot as he eyes off Origin records