Ex-Jet Valentine Holmes returns to United States for fated new career

LAS VEGAS — One of the best players competing in the National Rugby League’s two season-opening games Saturday at Allegiant Stadium was the lowest man on the totem pole with the Jets six-plus years ago.

If you tune into Fox Sports 2 on Saturday night, you’ll see Valentine Holmes likely delivering some of the most electrifying plays as a centre for the St. George Illawarra Dragons when they play the Canterbury Bulldogs.

Back in 2019, the 6-foot-1, 200 pounder was a member of the Jets as a part of the International Pathway Program trying to make it as a running back, receiver and kick returner.

Holmes, now 30, was with the Jets through OTAs, minicamps, training camp and made eight receptions for 85 yards in four preseason games before being released.

Over coffee Thursday morning in the Dragons’ team room, Holmes told The Post he made the bold move as a complete long shot to “challenge myself as an athlete and as a person.’’

“Obviously, stepping away from all I know and what I was comfortable with to move overseas to New York was a challenge,’’ he said. “I wanted to make it [in the NFL]. I wouldn’t have given up everything that I did if I didn’t. I had a five-year contract offered to me by the (Cronulla-Sutherland) Sharks that I gave up to come over.’’

Holmes estimated the move to the U.S. cost him about $850,000 in Australian dollars for the year, which translates to about $600,000 U.S.

Despite the temporary pause in income, Holmes took away a lot from his NFL experience that he brought back to Australia.

“I learned a lot about how to prepare for games, what it takes to actually play at a very elite level,’’ he said. “I was only 23 when I went over and I thought I was invincible. It’s a very cutthroat sport. That was the type of learning I took from it.’’

Despite not making it alongside Sam Darnold, Le’Veon Bell and those ’19 Jets coached by Adam Gase, Holmes said he doesn’t have a single regret.

“One thing I kind of live by in my life is to not have any regrets,’’ he said. “I kind of knew when the opportunity came up for me that if I didn’t take it, I would have regretted it my whole life.

“Obviously, I knew it was a different sport in a totally different arena. I feel like I had achieved a lot in the time I’d been playing rugby league.’’

He had as a highly-productive player for the Sharks, having helped lead the club to the NRL premiership title in 2016. And he has since, now in the second year of a three-year, $2.5 million contract with the Dragons.

The most intriguing element to Holmes’ move to the NFL was the fact that his new teammates had no idea what a big deal he actually was in Australia.

They had no idea one of the country’s most celebrated athletes was a 23-year-old mentally swimming in meetings trying to learn a new sport. At first glance, Holmes easily blended in with the dozens of other training-camp long shots whose NFL dreams were likely never going to come to fruition.

“My dad told me when I was in the town where I’m from (Townsville, Queensland), I was a big fish in a small pond,’’ Holmes said. “I had to move to Sydney (at age 17) to try and make it into the NRL, and then I was a small fish in a big pond. Then I won a premiership and I was playing in the State of Origin matches, playing for my country, and I felt like the big fish again.

“Then, when I came [to the NFL], I was back to being a small fish in a big pond. I was just testing myself, trying new things.’’

Among the “new things’’ Holmes came away with from the experience was a number of new friends, including Darnold, then a second-year quarterback with the Jets, along with former Jets linebackers Frankie Luvu and Blake Cashman and former receiver Braxton Berrios.

“I reached out to Sam to see if he wanted to come to the game Saturday,’’ Holmes revealed. “He responded and said he was obviously very busy since the Super Bowl and just didn’t have time.’’

Holmes cherishes having gotten to “meet some cool people that I still talk to today,’’ adding that he has his No. 39 Jets jerseys framed at his house, along with his Jets helmet on display.

He fondly recalled the day running backs Bell and Ty Montgomery, “wanting to know what I did over in Australia,’’ searched his name on the internet, saw his highlights and were blown away by who was in their midst.

Montgomery, after getting a look at Holmes’ highlights and large Instagram following (he has some 211,000 now), asked him, “You weren’t the Tom Brady of Australia, were you?’’

Lachlan Edwards, an Aussie who was the Jets punter when Holmes was trying to make it, recalled at the time Holmes being “a stud’’ when he was with the Jets.

“Let’s hope he can make an impact over here,” Edwards said.

Holmes didn’t make the impact he wanted to in the NFL, but he continues to be one of the most impactful players in the NRL. 

Just watch him Saturday.