While former Sharks star Valentine Holmes has defiantly declared he will prove his critics wrong and earn a spot on the New York Jets' 53-man roster, Phil Gould has cast doubt over his chances of making the cut for the 2019 NFL season.
After three months in the NFL's International Player Pathway Program in Florida, Holmes took another step towards making his NFL dream a reality when he signed a one-year contract with the Jets.
The deal sees 23-year-old Holmes become the 11th member of the Jets practice squad and will allow him to train and travel with the team for the entire season under the International Player Pathway Program initiative.
He will feature in the Jets' four pre-season games starting in August, but will only see regular-season game time if he can earn a spot on the club's final 53-man roster - a feat Jarryd Hayne achieved with the San Francisco 49ers in 2015.
Speaking on the Six Tackles with Gus podcast, Gould believes that Holmes - like Hayne - will struggle to compete against local talent in the highly sought after starting roster.
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“I find it very hard to believe that any player of a different code could go over there at that age and compete with people that have grown up and played that game all their lives,” Gould said.
“I couldn’t imagine an NFL player coming to us at 22, 23 years of age and learning rugby league well enough to play it.
“I know Fatty (Paul Vautin) was saying the other night [on 100% Footy] that he would make a great receiver. Well, I just can’t imagine that he would learn the game well enough or to be able to play the game at that level in that position. If he does, he’s obviously quite freakish.”
However, South Sydney prop Tom Burgess believes the introduction of the NFL International Player Pathway Program has made the transition into the American code easier for football stars.
Former Rabbitohs forward Jordan Mailata became the seventh round draft choice of the Philadelphia Eagles via the program, while Holmes was one of four international players who earned contracts in the AFC East.
“It gives squads a chance to draft someone," Burgess told NRL.com.
"I think they are a bit more open to players who go over there now and if someone is willing to give up what they’ve got in another sport and put it all or nothing into them they are pretty interested in that.”
“I knew he [Holmes] would get a chance."
We've added Valentine Holmes as part of the @NFL's International Player Pathway program.
— #TakeFlight (@nyjets) April 8, 2019
📰 https://t.co/CQ0hVdx9Em pic.twitter.com/6kCr5KtB2L
Holmes' shock decision to turn down a five-year, $5 million contract extension from the Sharks to chase his NFL dream rocked the NRL community last year.
While a raging Paul Gallen accused Holmes of 'letting the club down' and called NRL players who break contracts to cop life bans, the Penrith Panthers boss did not criticise Holmes for chasing his dream.
“When Jarryd Hayne did it, it was a bit of a shock to everyone that he would leave at the height of his career to go and do it; but he obviously keen to do it, it was something that interested him,” Gould said.
“Good luck to him (Holmes), I hope it all works out. I don’t mind watching people pursue their dreams. If it’s their dream, if they’re really passionate about it, why not?”
