Valentine Holmes

Valentine Holmes holds the record for most tries in a rugby league Test for Australia - six against Fiji in a World Cup semi-final at Suncorp Stadium in 2017.

A week earlier, he had scored five against Samoa, in Darwin, which was the record at the time.

Born in Townsville, Holmes played junior rugby league for the local Western Lions, before he was signed by Cronulla Sharks in 2012. He quickly established himself as a prolific try scorer, crossing 17 times in 10 games for the Sharks in the NRL National Youth Competition in 2013.

Holmes made his NRL debut in 2014 against Parramatta. In 2016, he enjoyed his breakout season, scoring 19 tries in 23 games and playing on the wing in Cronulla's historic 14-12 NRL grand final win over Melbourne Storm.

It was the Sharks' first premiership since they were promoted from the Sydney second division in 1967.

Two weeks after the grand final, Holmes made his Test debut for Australia, on the wing, scoring a try in the Kangaroos' 26-6 win over the Kiwis in in Perth.

He then embarked on Australia's Four Nations trip to Britain, playing against New Zealand in Coventry, and then England in London, before being part of Australia's 34-8 win over the Kiwis in the final in Liverpool.

Holmes made his State of Origin debut in Game II of the 2017 series in Sydney.

He got off to shaky start when he dropped the ball on his first carry, but that didn't rattle him. Minutes later, he scored an acrobatic try to give the Maroons the lead, with Queensland going on to win the match 18-16, to square the series.

He claimed a hat-trick of tries in the decider, at Suncorp Stadium, in the Maroons' 22-6 win, laying claim to being the world's best winger.

He's a very skilful player, Val, knows how to find the try line.

Johnathan Thurston FOG #148

In 2018, Holmes played mainly at fullback for Cronulla, scoring a club record 22 tries and winning the Monty Porter Medal as the best player for the Sharks.

At Origin level, he remained on the wing, and took on the added responsibility of goal kicking.

In Game I, he made 224 metres with the ball, along with six tackle breaks. At the end of the season, he headed to the USA for a crack at American Football, trying out with the New York Jets.

He returned to the NRL with the North Queensland Cowboys in 2020, and returned to Origin duty, first at fullback, and then on the wing, as Queensland won the series under the coaching of Wayne Bennett.

Holmes scored a try and kicked four goals in the decider at Suncorp Stadium, with Queensland winning 20-14. He played fullback in Game I and Game II of the 2021 series, and reverted to the wing for Game III, sharing the goal-kicking role with skipper, Daly Cherry-Evans in Queensland's 20-18 win on the Gold Coast.

At the start of the 2022 season, he had played 137 NRL games, 105 of them for the Sharks. He scored 66 tries during his time with Cronulla.

As of April, 2022, Holmes has scored 17 tries in 13 games for Australia, and holds the record for most tries in a World Cup tournament, with 12.

He has scored nine tries for Queensland in 10 games, and kicked 14 goals.