Granted permission to test the open market by Todd Payten and the Cowboys, a shock revelation has emerged regarding the future of representative centre Valentine Holmes.
Coming off another State of Origin campaign for theย QLD Maroons, Holmes will be out of contract at the end of the 2025 season.
This coincides with reports emerging that the Cowboys were open to releasing him 12 months ahead of schedule, and there is no guarantee that he will stay in Townsville.
A stalwart of the North Queensland side since arriving there in 2020, the 197-match Australian Kangaroos representative is slowly coming to the back end of his career and may be looking for a change of scenery.
While linked with a potential move to the St George Illawarra Dragons and having met Shane Flanagan numerous times, Fox Sports' James Hooper reports that Holmes has gotten cold feet and may be willing to see out the remainder of his contract at the Cowboys.
โShane Flanagan has flown up there and had a meeting with Val, I think it was all tracking in the right direction but it's hit a stumbling block,โ Hooper said on NRL360.
โI think Val has gone back to the club and said โyou know what, I've spoken to my family and I'm actually thinking I might prefer to see out my contract'.
โHe's got next year to run as well, so the Cowboys have now got to try and manoeuvre the situation to get the best result.โ
The shock revelation comes after North Queensland Cowboys veteran Kyle Feldt told this masthead that he expected Holmes to remain at the club beyond this season.
"I think that's just the club obviously saying like you're more than welcome to test the waters and I know where Val's heart's at. We all know where Val's heart's at. It's with us," Feldt toldย Zero Tackle.
"I personally don't see him leaving, which is great. He's a North Queenslander boy, he's from Townsville.
"It'll be hard to see him go if he does go, but honestly at this stage, he's still got one or two more years left and I reckon he's gonna stick it out with us."
