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FIFA World Cup 2026 poster'Vintage Val': YouTube clips that inspired Dragon
Joel Gould, AAP • June 1st, 2026 1:51 pm
Centre Valentine Holmes (left) returned to form with a bang for St George Illawarra | Photo: AAP
Valentine Holmes has revealed the catalyst behind his stunning return to top form for St George Illawarra and why he had no hard feelings about missing Queensland selection.
The strike centre scored two tries and created carnage in the Dragons' 30-26 win over Brisbane on Sunday, playing a key role in his side breaking a 15-game winless streak.
The 2016 premiership winner and Queensland Origin point-scoring whiz has by his own admission been below his best in 2026.
Valentine Holmes is embraced by teammates after scoring against Brisbane | Photo: AAP
Holmes is a proud Dragon now but it was watching clips of a former stellar season at North Queensland that lit a fuse.
"I just I kind of changed things up at the start of the week and just really honed back to what worked for me in 2022 when I first came to centre and I was just doing all the little things right," Holmes said.
"I rewatched a few of my older highlights, to be honest, back when I was at the Cowboys in 2022 … they just came up on YouTube.
""I just looked at it and it's probably not something I'm proud of saying, but I was happy, playing with a smile on my face and running freely.
"I was talking well with my inside men, my halves, and telling them how I wanted the ball."
Valentine Holmes after his golden-point field goal as NQ beat Cronulla in a 2022 qualifying final | Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
Holmes did all those things against the Broncos to perfection. He started the season reasonably well but admits he then "probably just mellowed out and wasn't myself".
"So it was good to get back to what I know I can do and all the boys obviously are really happy for me and saying old 'Vintage Val' is back," he said.
"Hopefully I can keep it up and I don't want to do a one-off game like that."
Holmes has played 22 games for the Maroons and scored an incredible 154 points. Since his debut in 2017, apart from an NFL stint in 2019, he has been a must-pick for Queensland.
The 30-year-old said Maroons coach Billy Slater had made it clear that past performances didn't guarantee selection and he understood why he was not picked for game one of this year's Origin series in Sydney.
Valentine Holmes after his golden-point field goal as NQ beat Cronulla in a 2022 qualifying final | Photo: Dan Himbrechts/AAP
"It's about that past year, and we all know I haven't been playing up to that standard. It's fair play," Holmes said.
"I don't expect him to just pick me because of what I've done in the past few years. It's unfair for people playing well."
Holmes would love to get back in the Maroons side but he said he was glad that he was "in the trenches" with the Dragons to get their first win of the year.
"The Red V, it's a massive club and there's a lot of fans everywhere in Australia that really support us, which I notice every day," he said.
"A lot of people come up and say, 'I'm a massive Dragons fan, just thinking that you're doing great', and it's things like that as well that really help my confidence."
