At the peak of his powers, Valentine Holmes will put his NRL career on hold and pursue an NFL dream that took many by surprise.
Cronulla were already resigned to losing their star fullback in 2020, but the immediate exit has rocked the club’s plans for next season.
They aren’t the only party revisiting the drawing board, with North Queensland and the Maroons also having to revert to plan B.
Here’s what happens next for every affected stakeholder.
MORE: OFFICIAL: Valentine Holmes is released from his Cronulla Sharks contract
CRONULLA SHARKS
If there’s one position Cronulla have depth at, it’s fullback.
Josh Dugan originally signed with the club on what he believed was ‘’fullback money’’, spending six games in the No.1 jumper during the early part of the 2018 season before Holmes took flight.
While Shane Flanagan has publicly declared he sees Dugan’s strengths at centre over fullback, the recent roster movement could force him to rethink his logic.
On top of losing Jack Bird to Brisbane in 2017, the Sharks farewelled both of their centres from last year in Ricky Leutele (Toronto) and Jesse Ramien (Knights).
Giving up another to a positional change will seriously test their depth on the flanks.
If Dugan gets the nod, former Rabbitoh Aaron Gray is still waiting to break through in Cronulla colours after spending most of his first stint at the club in reserve grades for Newtown Jets.
Gray made 42 appearances for South Sydney across three seasons at both wing and centre, however he managed just one game for Cronulla and that came all the way back in round two.
Judging off Flanagan’s preference for Dugan, the door appears open for his son Kyle to come through the ranks and push Matt Moylan to fullback.
Moylan spent his whole junior career barking orders in the back-field and only made the transition to the halves in the latter stages of his Panthers tenure.
He and Chad Townsend were slow to get off the mark, as were a large chunk of the team, but their combination grew over time through conformability as they helped the club to a preliminary final.
The ex-Panther spent just two games in his former role last year, but it appears he will return there full-time.
Flanagan is primed for an NRL gig after waiting patiently in reserve grade, rewarded with a first grade debut in round 24 to cover injuries.
He was an integral part of Newtown’s grand final team in the NSW Cup and had already attracted interest from a number of rivals who have been waiting to pounce should his opportunity cease at Cronulla.
Father Shane has been careful not to throw him in the deep end too early, but the time has finally come.
After all, this was their back-up plan if Holmes returned home to Townsville in 2020.
Watch out Clearys, there’s a new father-son combination in town.
NORTH QUEENSLAND COWBOYS
Cronulla have reason to be ‘’disappointed’’, as they worded it in their anger-driven statement, but North Queensland’s recruitment team are about to explode.
During Origin camp, Holmes was not scared to reveal his intentions to be closer to his family in North Queensland and it set alight months of speculation.
The plan was to finish the season, take the holiday, negotiate the dollar signs, alert the family and cash in at the Townsville bank.
But instead of moving home, the Sharks flyer will be over 11,000km away from his relatives, halfway around the world taking a bigger gamble than a Kieran Foran contract.
North Queensland had the deal ready to be signed and sealed, only missing a squiggle on the dotted line at the bottom.
As we have learnt from Daly Cherry-Evans’ backflip in 2015, nothing is a guarantee in rugby league.
But the Cowboys may have still come out on top of Cronulla in this situation, having Ben Barba currently on their books.
Only signed to a one-year deal, Barba was poised to make room for Holmes in essentially what was meant to be a player swap that would have seen him return to the club he won a premiership at.
That plan has been scrunched up, burnt and its ashes tossed to the trash can.
Depending on how he fares in his NRL return, North Queensland should have no hesitations in offering him an extension.
Seeing as though he was crowned the Man of Steel in the Super League, there should be no issues fitting back in with the big boys.
That doesn’t mean Cronulla have lost interest, it only gives them more motivation to poach him.
Let the bidding war begin.
QUEENSLAND MAROONS
The elusive wing pair of Holmes and Dane Gagai has been a raging success for the Maroons in the past two Origin series.
The Australian speedsters have scored a combined 15 tries between them, carrying on the try-scoring legacy left by the likes of Darius Boyd and Israel Folau.
All good things must come to an end, but Queensland breed outside backs just as they do playmakers.
Brisbane weapon Corey Oates appears to be Kevin Walters’ first-choice, having slotted in for game three last year after Greg Inglis was ruled out.
Selectors will also be keeping a keen eye on Knights recruit Edrick Lee, Cowboys scorer Kyle Feldt, Tigers pocket rocket Corey Thompson and Titans flyer Phillip Sami.
