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\u2019s World Cup.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
This follows a number of the NRL\u2019s<\/a> top names like Payne Haas and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow opting to represent Samoa in this year\u2019s Pacific Championship rather than tour England with the Kangaroos.<\/p>\n \u2018He is committed and wants to be a part of what we are doing here\u2019<\/p>\n 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\u2019 involvement would be a huge coup for the Aitu.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cHe is going to join us in our third week,\u201d Cook Islands head coach Karmichael Hunt said. \u201cWe are going back to the Cook Islands to come and connect with the guys, and he is going to help me coach in Sydney.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously, with his injury, he can\u2019t put on the jersey, but he is committed and wants to be a part of what we are doing here.<\/p>\n \u201cHopefully next year, if he is injury-free and we win this game against South Africa, he can play for us in the World Cup<\/a> and help to lead our boys.\u201d<\/p>\n TUESDAY\u2019S READS ON LRL<\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49\ud83c\udffb Ranking Super League clubs by Ashes call-ups with 7 represented and shock winner<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49\ud83c\udffb England coach waxes lyrical over Leigh star as \u2018tough\u2019 call with omitted Leopards ace revealed<\/a><\/p>\n \ud83d\udc49\ud83c\udffb England squad winners and losers: Hull KR star a \u2018major gamble\u2019 as \u2018most unfortunate\u2019 star misses cut<\/a><\/p>\n