Calls for Holmes to be axed from Origin grow stronger ahead of Magic Round

With State of Origin just over two weeks away, James Magnussen and Joel Caine have questioned whether high-profile Cowboys centre Valentine Holmes should be selected for the Maroons in Game One.

The North Queensland Cowboys currently sit 12th on the NRL ladder, having lost five in a row. After a table-topping start to the season, the Cowboys form slump has extended to many of their star players, including Holmes.

Magnussen believes that based on current form, Queensland could not afford to pick Holmes for Game One, instead opting for Selwyn Cobbo and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.

“Val Holmes is grossly out of form,” Magnussed told The Run Home with Joel & Fletch.

“When all is said and done, Queensland are the pick and stick team. Could you pick Val Holmes right now? He honestly cost them the game last week by not putting a ball over the line.

“I’m sure Billy’s (Slater) spoken to him but there’s a few players in that Cowboys line-up - Nanai, Cotter, Taulagi… and Holmes - none of them have done their chances much good for State of Origin.

“I wouldn’t (pick him).”

Former NRL player Joel Caine revealed there is a correlation between a player’s goal kicking and their focus off-field which could be impacting Holmes’ form.

“I do believe if you went through… a correlation between goal kicking percentage and their performance on the field, there’d be a strong correlation and it relates to their preparation off the field,” Caine said.

“I remember when I was a bit distracted, I was getting ripped off a lot of money by a major sponsor at the time, I wasn’t spending the same time goal kicking as I would after training. I generally spent an hour there, then an hour became 45, and all of a sudden it was 10 minutes, and you’re self-justifying it.

“One of the first things that went for me was the kick percentage.”

Game One of State of Origin is on June 5th in Sydney with Holmes and the Cowboys hoping to turn their form around against the struggling South Sydney Rabbitohs on Saturday at Magic Round.