Valentine Holmes has opened up about his departure from the North Queensland Cowboys, revealing that salary cap constraints played a major role in his move to the St George Illawarra Dragons for the 2025 season. Despite his disappointment, Holmes expressed understanding of the situation and emphasized that there are no hard feelings between him and the Cowboys.
In an interview with Peter Badel, Holmes shared that if it were up to him, he would have preferred to stay in Townsville. However, he acknowledged the reality of the salary cap and the club’s need to manage their roster effectively. “I can’t be too disappointed because I’ve still got a job for the next three years, which is nice, but in an ideal world and in a perfect world, I would have liked to have stayed in Townsville,” he said.
Holmes’ move is part of a broader roster reshuffle at the Cowboys, with the club focusing on securing young talent and managing back-ended contracts. The Cowboys have recently re-signed key players like Reuben Cotter and Semi Valemei, while locking in long-term deals for other key players such as Coen Hess and Jeremiah Nanai.
Holmes, who is currently the NRL’s top points scorer for 2024, admitted that leaving his hometown and the club he supports has been tough. “It will be hard to move on,” he said, reflecting on leaving behind his family and the place he considers home. Despite this, he remains positive about his future with the Dragons and acknowledges the Cowboys’ need to make difficult decisions for the club’s future.
As the Cowboys enter the finals, Holmes remains hopeful for a successful end to his time with the club. He believes they have what it takes to win the premiership this year and is determined to contribute to their success. Holmes will face off against the Newcastle Knights in the finals, where he will go head-to-head with former Maroons teammate Dane Gagai.
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