Cowboys keep door ajar for Val
RUGBY LEAGUE: North Queensland has left the door ajar for Valentine Holmes to sign with the Cowboys if he fails in his ambitious NFL gamble.
The Cowboys tabled a fouryear offer worth an estimated $3.5 million just weeks before the Queensland State of Origin and Cronulla star stunned the NRL fraternity by announcing his shock defection to chase his American dream.
North Queensland was rated the frontrunner to secure Holmes for the 2020 season and such was the secrecy surrounding his NFL ambitions, the club was totally unaware of any defection plan.
“We’re still interested in Valentine,” Cowboys general manager of football Peter Parr said yesterday.
“We will be like a lot of people – we’ll sit back and watch his move to America with interest and see how it unfolds.
“We wish Valentine all the best if that’s what he wants to do. If at some stage ... he wants to have a look at coming back to the NRL, we’d be happy to talk to his management again.”
The big winner in Holmes’ decision is new Cowboys recruit Ben Barba.
The former Dally M golden boy signed only a 12-month deal and was expected to be moved on if the Cowboys snared Holmes.
Now Barba, 29, has a golden opportunity to extend his future in Townsville.
“It’s a big loss (missing out on Holmes) but Benny Barba’s no slouch,” Cowboys prop Matt Scott said.
“I know Ben’s only got a oneyear deal at the moment but it’s fully up to him what he does with that one year ... there’s no reason why he can’t force the club’s hand and stay at the Cowboys long-term.”