Valentine Holmes has been shooting for the stars from the moment he first stepped onto an NRL field back in 2014, but the 24-year-old says the leap in competitiveness he experienced in the USA’s National Football League (NFL) brought him back down to earth.
Holmes spent 2019 in the United States as part of the NFL’s international program and says the ruthlessness on display was a shock to the system and made him realise the areas of his game he could improve when he returned to rugby league.
“My first few months there, in the first three weeks I had three different roomies because they kept getting cut. It’s sad but it’s the way it is,” he said.
“Everyone carries on like it’s a normal day the next day and you get to training and their locker is empty.
“Every Monday they have try-outs, so your position is always up for grabs.
“I liked the challenge of it. It brought me back down a bit and it’s good because the guys over there didn’t know who I was so I could just walk around and be myself and do whatever I want, go to a normal cafe and not get looked at or stared at.”
(Image: Twitter/New York Jets)
Holmes was picked up by the New York Jets and played four pre-season games but did not get the chance to run out for a regular-season NFL game.
Although the physicality of the training was different, Holmes said he learnt the most about himself in classroom meetings that lasted up to four hours each day.
He said the first few weeks was a “mental blur” and the entire experience forced him to grow up.
“I learnt a lot mentally and as a person,” he said.
“I feel more mature as a person. Those guys are on a bigger scale. We’re on a decent scale here but they are worldwide.
“To be able to mix it with those guys was pretty cool. How they prepare and how they train, it’s something that I’ve brought back with me.
“Mentally I don’t know how they do it, because it’s very cut-throat. They know they have to pay attention, they have to know what they’re doing on the field or otherwise they will get rid of you and get someone else in.”
Holmes will make his official return to the NRL in the Cowboys’ clash with Brisbane at the new Queensland Country Bank Stadium in Townsville on March 13.
Aiden
Guest
Tactically its clearly a much more complicated game, whereas League is fairly simple in comparison. You hear it all the time from the commentary box, 'It's a simple game, etc'. But I don;t think that's the whole story. It must be extremely challenging to have to learn your role in the massive play book if you don't have the muscle memory. Having said that, most the of the league/rugby converts have played kick receiver and running back roles with a fairly confined set of tasks. At least, I can;t recall any commentary to the effect that a player was not in the right position. Rather, its about a lack of explosiveness, running too up right, not enough metres run or dropped balls. I have no doubt someone as gifted as Holmes, had he started his run when he was 18 or so, would have made more of an impact with more time in the game. By the same token, give an NFL running back a few years to get up to speed and I am sure that they could catch balls in the NRL, after learning how to pass and tackle. In terms of which game is 'harder' NFL is more complicated, but it is a harder game for an individual player? An attacking player in the NFL has a few tasks to complete. Hayne had to catch the ball and run fast into gaps. That is it. In the NRL he had to do that, pass the ball at the line, set up plays, maybe kick the ball, and then turn around and make tackles. Would an NFL running back be able to walk into an NRL FB position in six months? I doubt it. The biggest road block seems to be no tolerance for a learning curve. They have massive rosters, and they can still cut and sign other players as they like. You can be an exceptional athlete and have 7 or 8 exceptional athletes breathing down your neck. You might even be a slightly more exceptional athlete than one or two of them, but drop a ball one day in your one opportunity to touch a ball, and you are done. No need to take a risk on you any longer. Looking at it like that, it seems a lot of luck is involved. Plus, those other guys have three years of highlight reels from College to prove that their stuff up was a one off. Our guys don;t have that. They have their very limited chance to make a gigantic impact, and then they are done.
Joe
Roar Rookie
Judging from the comments of both Holmes and Hayne it seems like one of the biggest hurdles is the sheer amount of knowledge and plays that is needed for an elite level NFL player. Basically NFL is a way more complex game to play compared to NRL. Anyway, its good to see Holmes back. He played ok in the trial against the Storm and I expect he will be back to his best in no time and will be a better player than when he left which is pretty scary considering he was one of the best outside backs when he left.
Insider
Roar Rookie
Nice insight, maybe the NRL could apply the same in class disciplines, wouldn’t hurt