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Valentine Holmes reportedly drops career-change bombshell

Cronulla Sharks superstar Valentine Holmes has reportedly dropped a bombshell that will reverberate around the NRL.

According to The Daily Telegraph, Holmes has told the Sharks he wants to quit immediately to follow Jarryd Hayne’s path into the NFL, despite having one year remaining on his NRL contract.

The 23-year-old has recently been travelling through the United States on holiday and checked out the headquarters of an NFL franchise while in the country, according to the report.

His interest in the sport of American football is no news to NRL fans, after he captured media attention by working out in front of NFL scouts alongside Jason Taumalolo in 2016.

His manager Chris Orr said four NFL clubs had expressed an interest in the pair at the time, however both Holmes and Taumalolo ended up re-signing with the Sharks and Cowboys respectively.

Valentine Holmes is reportedly set for a move to the NFL. Pic: Getty
Valentine Holmes is reportedly set for a move to the NFL. Pic: Getty

His apparent interest in an immediate move to the NFL isn’t just a huge shock to the Sharks, but the North Queensland Cowboys, who were expecting to sign the dangerous outside back on a huge-money deal starting in the 2020 season.

The Sharks had reportedly fallen behind in the race to sign their mega star, and were even considering bringing back their 2016 premiership hero Ben Barba to fill the void in 2020.

The Daily Telegraph is reporting Holmes will meet with Sharks chief executive Barry Russel to discuss the matter on Wednesday.

If he does eventually make the move to the United States, he will not only put himself in line for a monster pay day, but will likely capture the attention of sport fans around Australia – much like Hayne did in his two-year NFL adventure.

Jarryd Hayne was a sensation in his two-year stint in the NFL. Pic: Getty
Jarryd Hayne was a sensation in his two-year stint in the NFL. Pic: Getty

Holmes has the speed, agility and skill to make it in the NFL in a number of offensive positions.

His greatest chance of cracking the league would appear to be as a wide receiver or kick returner, however Holmes may also follow in the footsteps of Hayne and try his hand at running back – although he’d have to put on a huge amount of size to be effective in the role.