NRL representative star Valentine Holmes has pleaded his innocence to NRL officials and declared it was a joke gone wrong.
This comes after an image emerged circulated on social media pages that saw him holding an alcoholic beverage in his right hand and what appeared to be a bag of white powder in his mouth.
News Corp has reported that Holmes was formally interviewed by Cowboys bosses and NRL investigators on Monday via Zoom.
It is understood by the publication that Holmes' made it clear in the inquiry that he did not use cocaine or any other illicit substance. Instead, the Cowboys outside back reiterated his stance that the image was simply a prank gone wrong.
The NRL is currently powerless to test the 28-year-old under the rugby league illicit testing regime, with rules dictating players can't be tested and they are off-limits during their holiday period.
The NRL is expected to finalise their probe in the coming days. Although Holmes may not be charged for what appeared to be a white bag in his mouth, it's understood that Holmes will face an allegation of bringing the game into disrepute.
North Queensland Cowboys head coach Todd Payten revealed he was disappointed with Holmes after he was made aware of the image that surfaced on social media pages.
While the image was deleted by Holmes within minutes of being posted, it was long enough for someone to screenshot the image and share it on several different social media pages.
Although the North Queensland Cowboys missed on making the NRL finals, the season was far from over for Valentine Holmes. He was expected to be a part of the Australian Kangaroos roster for the Tri-Nations tournament against New Zealand and Samoa at the end of the year.
