'Nice message': NFL star seeks jersey swap ahead of Vegas clash

Val Holmes is set to invite NFL star Frankie Luvu to the Dragons season opening match in Las Vegas after revealing how the Washington Commanders linebacker had reached out to him about a jersey swap.

Holmes, who played and trained alongside Luvu at the New York Jets during his 2019 NFL stint, said the American Samoa-born star was a huge State of Origin fan and had asked for his No.4 Queensland jersey from this year’s series.

In return, Luvu sent Holmes his No.4 Commanders jersey and the former Kangaroos star, who will play for Cook Islands at next year’s World Cup, now plans to invite him to St George Illawarra’s February 28 match against the Bulldogs at Allegiant Stadium.

“I was at the Jets with him when I was there in 2019 and he actually has been watching State of Origin for a long time,” Holmes said of Luvu.

“He wears the same number as me and he wanted an Origin jersey of mine. He was pretty excited to get that and so was I with his jersey, which he sent me with a nice message on the back.

“I might hit him up and tell him to come across [to Vegas for the game].”

After undergoing surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff that ended his season in Round 19, Holmes was a member of Karmichael Hunt’s coaching staff as Cook Islands qualified for RLWC26 by defeating South Africa on November 9.

However, he is now back in training with the Dragons and will be fit for the Round 1 match against the Bulldogs at Allegiant Stadium, which is part of a triple header along with the Cowboys-Knights clash and the Hull KR-Leeds Super League fixture.

“It is exciting. I have watched all two years of the teams going and it looks pretty fun, just to be playing in a stadium like that, in Vegas, with a lot of eyes on you. All the talk is about the four teams over there,” Holmes said.

“We are pretty excited, but it doesn’t really mean for anything if you don’t get the win.

"You come back, and you get 14 days off so we want to put an emphasis on trying to start well and there is no better team to play against than the Bulldogs so it will be a good challenge.”

After helping the Sharks end their premiership drought in 2016, Holmes decided to test himself in the NFL and moved to the US in 2019 to pursue his ambition.

The then 24-year-old fullback or winger was picked up by the New York Jets as a member of their training squad and played four pre-season matches as a running back.

While he returned to the NRL in 2020, Holmes said he enjoyed the experience of playing in front of NFL crowds and was hoping the Dragons could put on a show for fans at Allegiant Stadium.

“We play in front of some decent crowds here, but sport is the No.1 thing in America,” he said. “Obviously, they are the best in whatever they do, whether it’s baseball, football, hockey …  they love it, it’s a passion for them.

“The fans get amongst it, they entertain the fans and make them feel like they are at a show as well as at a sporting event. It is probably something we can take in as well.”