Holmes not shy about number one ambition

VALENTINE Holmes has scored 10 tries in six games playing for Queensland and Australia on the wing or off the bench this year.

He scored just six tries in 20 games playing for Cronulla as a fullback.

But the Kangaroo insists he wants to play long-term in the No.1 jersey despite becoming the first Australian player to cross for five tries in a Test.

Holmes’s stunning display against Samoa in Darwin on Friday night beat the performances of four-try heroes including Mat Rogers, Jarryd Hayne, Brett Morris, John Ribot, Dale Shearer, Michael O’Connor, Gorden Tallis and Cronulla teammate Wade Graham.

While Holmes has cemented himself as a first-class representative winger, he faces a challenge to keep his fullback spot at the Sharks following the off-season acquisitions of Matt Moylan and Josh Dugan.

Holmes has maintained his wish to keep the No.1 jersey at club level after replacing premiership winner Ben Barba in the role this year.

“I think in rep footy I’m a good winger but I’d like to play fullback,” Holmes said.

“I enjoy playing fullback more. It’s not always about scoring tries. I’d like to set up tries. I get a bit excited about scoring tries, but obviously in a team like this you’ve got to wait your turn.

“We’ve got a great fullback at the moment (in Billy Slater) and he’ll be playing for another few years.

“I’m very happy to be playing on the wing.”

Holmes has spent this camp shadowing Slater as they get the chance to play alongside each other for the Kangaroos for the first time. He deputised for Slater in the final pool game against Lebanon.

“I’ve been studying with him,” Holmes said. “I played last week at fullback and he helped me out a lot.

“The main thing I’ve got off him is he is very loud at training. He is very vocal. (The players) demand where to go so they know where to be.”

Holmes scored twice in the opening half but nominated his fifth try as his favourite. Unaware his final four-pointer would send him to record territory, his 74th-minute try came from the most unlikely source.

Prop David Klemmer laid on the historic moment with some tactical nous – calling on Holmes to hold his spot on the wing so the big man could deliver a surprise short-side raid following a goal-line drop out.

“He teed it up beforehand because he knew Matt Wright was drop-kicking (from the restart),” Holmes said. “Obviously, he was the opposite winger and we thought they would have been down a man.

“I didn’t think he was going to pass it but he did.

“It worked out well.”

“I’m a good winger but I’d like to play fullback”