Valentine Holmes signs with Dragons for 2025 NRL season

Star centre Valentine Holmes has signed with the St George Illawarra Dragons for the 2025 NRL season, with the 29-year-old being released a year early from his North Queensland Cowboys contract.

The move has Holmes reuniting with former coach Shane Flanagan, with the Kangaroos and Maroons player joining on a deal reportedly worth $3.5 million over three years.

Holmes has played 198 NRL matches, scoring 101 tries over his decade-long career.

The utility back has been with the Cowboys since 2020, helping them to seventh on the ladder so far this year with nine tries and 73 goals.

Move comes as shock to Cowboys teammates

Last month, North Queensland coach Todd Payten shared that Holmes had been granted permission to talk with rival clubs about a switch in 2025.

If the right deal was found, then Holmes would be allowed to exit the Cowboys a year early.

However, when questioned as recently as last week, his teammates were confident Holmes would opt to see out his contract in North Queensland.

“I think that’s just the club obviously saying like you’re more than welcome to test the waters and I know where Val’s heart’s at,” Kyle Feldt said recently.

“We all know where Val’s heart’s at. It’s with us.

“I personally don’t see him leaving, which is great. He’s a North Queenslander boy, he’s from Townsville.

“It’ll be hard to see him go if he does go, but honestly at this stage, he’s still got one or two more years left and I reckon he’s going to stick it out with us.”

Big task ahead for Cowboys in 2024

While Holmes might have his future sorted in 2025, the Cowboys have a mountain to climb in the final month of the NRL regular season.

With three matches and a bye to come, North Queensland sit just two points clear of the top-eight cutoff.

Two of their three matches are against sides ranked higher than them at the moment, with the Melbourne Storm (first) and the Canterbury Bulldogs (fifth) in the last two weeks of the season.

Nevertheless, NRL bookmakers give the Cowboys strong odds of $1.03 to reach the post-season, while they are paying $13 to miss out.

Top bookie PlayUp has them well back in premiership betting at $34, however, behind six other teams.

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