Incumbent Maroons center Valentine Holmes is in serious doubt for State of Origin Game I after being sin-binned and reported for a hip drop tackle on Tigers back rower Isaiah Papali’i.
Holmes attempted a try-saving tackle on Papali’i but lost his body weight on the back of the Tigers forward’s legs.
Papali’i injured his lower leg in the tackle and had to be helped off the ground by Tigers trainers.
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What didn’t help Holmes was teammate Tom Dearden making contact with him as he made the tackle, which contributed to Papali’i being put in such an awkward position.
Holmes was expected to be named in the centers for the Maroons for Game I, but he is expected to be investigated by the match review committee.
“Valentine Holmes will do everything he can to stop an attempt, but you can’t fall on the back of the legs,” Cooper Cronk said in a commentary.
“It was a lottery, but that was the right decision in terms of a sin bin.”
Fox League’s Corey Parker opined that there wasn’t much Holmes could have done in that situation.
“Val made a desperate tackle when Papali’i went to try,” Parker said.
“If Val doesn’t get checked or hit by Tommy Dearden, he doesn’t get into that position. The unfortunate thing was that he did and Papali’i left the field with an injury.
“If Dearden hasn’t made contact with Val, I think it’s just an act of desperation. The fact that Dearden ended up in that circumstance means Holmes throws ten in the trash.
“The frustrating thing for fans is that we have seen cases where other players have been put in that position but there has been no sin bin. A very unpleasant circumstance.”
Valentine Holmes police 10 for hip drop | 01:05
Michael Ennis agreed with Parker, but said it appeared to be a hip drop tackle.
“A real shame for Holmes on Origin,” Ennis said.
“There is no doubt that Papali’i has been put in a difficult position and it is a great shame to see him leave the field.
“Holmes just turned around. It was Tom Dearden whose body landed on Val and forced him on top of Papali’i, which was considered a hip drop tackle and it certainly looked like it.
What will go against Holmes is his recent record, with the Cowboys star having missed four games late last season due to a shoulder charge.
If Holmes is ruled out of Game I, Broncos star Selwyn Cobbo will aim for a center position alongside Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, while Xavier Coates and Murray Taulagi are favored to be named as the Maroons’ wingers.
