Queensland legend Darren Lockyer wants to see Valentine Holmes and Kotoni Staggs go head to head on rugby league’s biggest stage.
Both players are in red-hot form for their respective NRL clubs and are hoping to get selected for the State of Origin opener on June 8 in Sydney.
Staggs would be making his debut for New South Wales and is line to replace the injured Latrell Mitchell at left centre.
READ MORE: Golf legend’s son banned for life for Masters ‘shame’
READ MORE: Simmering Burgess issue addressed by Souths
READ MORE: Supercars rocked by shock Ford switch
Holmes already has 10 Origin games to his name for Queensland, but has only ever played at fullback or wing for the Maroons.
But his performances at centre for North Queensland this season have tongues wagging in the sunshine state.
Speaking on Wide World of Sports’ QLDER, NRL journalist Adam Jackson said Holmes is right now on the same level as Staggs and Joseph Manu as the best centres in the league.
Stream the NRL premiership 2022 live and free on 9Now.
Asked if Holmes was in line for an Origin call-up in the three-quarter line, Lockyer said the 26-year-old could handle the role with aplomb.
“He’s a quality player. He was a winger for a long time, then he was fullback and again he was told to shift from fullback into the centres and once he embraced that, he’s been really impressive,” he said.
“He’s playing some really good football, his goal kicking is going really well.”
Holmes has scored three tries for the Cowboys this year but he’s been mighty impressive with the boot as well, nailing 29 conversions.
He could fill two roles for the Maroons if he takes the tee in Origin.
“I think there’s a lot of us that expected him to shine over night and switching from wing to fullback to centre surely couldn’t have been that simplistic a move,” Maroons great Wally Lewis told QLDER.
“But he’s a talented, quality player and everything he’s done particularly over the last couple of weeks has been outstanding.”
Lockyer is salivating at a potential head-to-head between Holmes and Staggs.
“The one guy that I’ve seen in the first seven rounds that’s been able to handle Staggs has been Val, so it makes for an interesting potential match-up in an Origin match,” he said.
With only five weeks until game one, Holmes is battling it out with the likes of Dane Gagai, Cowboys teammate Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, and even Broncos backrower Kurt Capewell for Queensland’s centre spots.
For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!