Eyes turn to battle of No.1s

TWO of the NRL’s most exciting fullbacks will battle for the honours tonight at Central Coast Stadium.

Back from his NFL mission in the US, the Cowboys’ Valentine Holmes will square off with arguably the league’s best No.1, the Warriors’ Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.

It will be an electrifying battle, but one that Cowboys fiveeighth Scott Drinkwater believes will mostly be done inside each of their heads.

Knowing the competitive nature of his own custodian, Drinkwater said Holmes would likely want to get one up on his opposite number but it was unlikely they would come to blows.

“It is quite hard to say a battle between the fullbacks because the only time they come into contact is if one makes a break and gets to the other,” Drinkwater said.

“I am sure Val will worry about his own game, but there might be a bit of an internal battle in himself to outdo Roger on the field.”

That is easier said than done.

The 2018 Dally M Medal winner, Tuivasa-Sheck has the right mix of speed, agility and strength, and according to Drinkwater the things he can do on the football field aren’t even worth trying to emulate.

“As a fullback you don’t try and do what Roger does, or watch what he does, because Roger is just Roger … he is a freak,” he said.

“He has unbelievable footwork and strength, and ... he would be one of the fittest players in the competition.”

The Cowboys will be buoyed by the return of Jason Taumalolo, with the damaging lock to come in from the extended bench after proving his fitness at training.

Coen Hess also returns from injury in another boost for the Cowboys pack.