Valentine Holmes is poised to remain at fullback under new Cowboys coach Todd Payten, who has kick-started a major overhaul of the team’s structures and standards.
Payten has assumed the reins after a season in which North Queensland finished 14th with a 5-15 record. They parted ways with long-time coach Paul Green in July and Josh Hannay saw out the campaign in an interim capacity.
The Cowboys haven’t made the finals since 2017 – when Payten was on Green’s staff as an assistant – and the new mentor acknowledged he must reinstate high benchmarks and change the side’s style.
And Holmes, who returned to the NRL in 2020 after a one-year sojourn with the NFL’s New York Jets, looks likely to wear the No.1 jersey despite some calls for him to play on the wing.
“Val will be spending the pre-season at fullback. It was a big ask for him last year to come back from the NFL, the physical demands with limited preparation,” Payten told NRL.com.
Source: NRL.com