Club to pounce as Cowboys make shock Valentine Holmes call

The Cowboys have dropped a bombshell call after the club make a huge call on the future of Queensland Origin star Valentine Holmes.

GOLD COAST, AUSTRALIA - MAY 12: Valentine Holmes of the Cowboys looks on during the round 10 NRL match between Gold Coast Titans and North Queensland Cowboys at Cbus Super Stadium, on May 12, 2024, in Gold Coast, Australia. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)

The Dragons are poised to pounce with news that the Cowboys have granted representative outside back Valentine Holmes permission to test the open market.

While the Cowboys have reportedly told Holmes that they want him to remain at the club, his manager confirmed toNews Corp that the 29-year-old is able to now speak with rival teams.

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It comes as Holmes prepares to enter the final year of his current contract with North Queensland.

News Corp reports that the Dragons have emerged as frontrunners for Holmes’ signature, noting that he would be a perfect replacement for the outgoing Zac Lomax.

He would also present another option should the Red V fall short in their pursuit of boom Parramatta rookie Blaize Talagi, although the hope from the Dragons’ side is that they could land both players to bolster their outside backs stocks.

“Huge news coming out of the North,” Fox League’s Corey Parker said on Sunday.

“When you’ve got players like Jaxon Purdue and (Zac) Laybutt who have come on leaps and bounds and someone like (Jason) Taumalolo on $1 million and Val is on the same sort of money, you think they’d try clean up their roster.”

Val Holmes is set to be moved on from the Cowboys. Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images

Michael Ennis added: “No doubt the salary cap pressure must be a significant factor in this decision.”

Holmes’ agent Chris Orr was quoted telling News Corp that they 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,” he added.

“The Cowboys have indicated they wish for Val to stay.”

With that in mind, this is hardly a guarantee that Holmes’ future is elsewhere but it does provide a team like the Dragons with the opportunity to at least present their case to the Maroons star.

Holmes is not the only Cowboy whose future could be uncertain beyond this year, with Reuben Cotter and Reece Robson also off-contract at the end of the 2025 season along.

Otherwise, North Queensland has Heilum Luki, Coen Hess, Jason Taumalolo, Jeremiah Nanai, Scott Drinkwater and Tom Dearden under contract well past that point.

Originally published as Club to pounce as Cowboys make shock Valentine Holmes call