Queensland and St George Illawarra Dragons star Valentine Holmes is set to become the latest NRL star to switch Test allegiance, with the outside back in line to represent the Cook Islands should they qualify for next year’s World Cup.
This follows a number of the NRL’s top names like Payne Haas and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow opting to represent Samoa in this year’s Pacific Championship rather than tour England with the Kangaroos.
‘He is committed and wants to be a part of what we are doing here’
Qualification for the showpiece event, which will be held in Australia later next year, is by no means guaranteed for the Pacific Island nation, who face South Africa in a qualifier next month after the Pacific Championships, but Holmes’ involvement would be a huge coup for the Aitu.
The versatile outside back, who can play full-back, wing and centre, has 21 Test caps to his name for Australia, and helped them win back-to-back World Cups in 2017 and 2021. Around that, he has also helped the Maroons claim five State of Origin series victories between 2017 and 2025, while also helping the Cronulla Sharks win the 2016 NRL Grand Final.
While that World Cup might still be over a year away, and they still have to get past South Africa in three weeks, he is already fully committed to their cause and is set to join up with their coaching staff ahead of their Pacific Championships campaign, which begins this weekend against Fiji.
“He is going to join us in our third week,” Cook Islands head coach Karmichael Hunt said. “We are going back to the Cook Islands to come and connect with the guys, and he is going to help me coach in Sydney.
“Obviously, with his injury, he can’t put on the jersey, but he is committed and wants to be a part of what we are doing here.
“Hopefully next year, if he is injury-free and we win this game against South Africa, he can play for us in the World Cup and help to lead our boys.”
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