Running alone in the Townsville heat and restricted to lighter weights than his teammates.

Welcome to the new world of Valentine Holmes, who is on a mission to transition back into the rugby league star that reached the top of his game 18 months ago.

The one-time State of Origin and international winger-fullback quit the sport at the end of 2018 to chase a dream in American football.

Over the space of 12 months he managed to earn a spot on the New York Jets’ practice squad, but couldn’t crack the main 53-man roster and eventually decided to return to the NRL with the Cowboys.

Round 19

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But that 12 months living in the US and training to be an NFL player transformed Holmes’ body.

A young guy who had been training to be a fit, fast rugby league player his entire life was suddenly being asked to stick to a very different program.

“I did a lot more weights and short-burst running over there rather than conditioning,” Holmes told foxsports.com.au this week.

Valentine Holmes training with the Cowboys. Source: The Courier-Mail

“We didn’t really do power cleans (in the US), we just did squats and bench (press), so they had to work a program around that.

“I went over at 90 or 91 kilos, and I got to 94 was my highest.”

Training to be an NFL running back meant Holmes only had to be fast over a distance of no more than 60 or 70 metres.

His training program focused on changing direction at speed over a short distance, and then resting.

As North Queensland’s starting fullback he will be asked to compete for 80 minutes at a time in arguably the fittest position on the field.

The 24-year-old arrived at Cowboys HQ prior to Christmas and was met with a modified program, designed by the club’s strength and conditioning staff and steered towards making his body NRL-ready in quick time.

Remarkably, Holmes revealed he is already back to his ideal weight of 90 kilograms, thanks to the two-week training regimen.

“The first couple of weeks when I got back they eased me into the training loads, the weight program, so by after the Christmas period I was back full training with everyone,” he said.

“It only took two weeks.

“For example there’s this 1.2 (kilometre running) test which they get everyone to do, but I didn’t do that until two weeks later. There was no point putting me into something like that when I haven’t really run long distance in a while.

“They have other drills, that are still long distance running but not as much load, and then each day I increased by a little bit.

“With the gym, the weight program, it was pretty much the same program as what the boys did but just lighter weights, more metabolic stuff.

“They got the programs of what I was doing in America so that helped them out with what to work on.”

Holmes’ body did get bigger when he was in the US, but only added about three kilos to his frame.

“If you don’t play the games you do more weights throughout the week. There was about 15 of us who did weights four times a week, and it was a pretty big session,” he said.

“Plus eating a lot and taking protein or whatever, it builds on pretty quick.

Valentine Holmes tackled by Scott Drinkwater at training. Source: News Corp Australia

“Now I’m back down at 90, 91... I was playing at 89 or 90 kilos when I was at Sharks. I lose weight easy, especially in Townsville... it’s hot, you do a lot of running. Pre-season training has been pretty tough.

“It’s been good, I want to play around 92 so I’m pretty happy with where I’m at.”

Holmes’ situation is different to that of Jarryd Hayne, who also had a stint playing American football before returning to the NRL.

Hayne spent longer training and playing in the US, and when he returned to rugby league it was mid-season with the Titans.

Many pundits speculated Hayne looked a little slower, and not as fit as when he left Australia.

But Holmes, luckily, has a full pre-season to knock himself back into NRL shape.

Cowboys teammate and close friend Michael Morgan reckons Holmes could play an NRL game tomorrow, if he had to.

“It honestly looks like he never left,” Morgan told foxsports.com.au.

“When he first got back he probably started a bit slower. People compare him to Jarryd purely because he’s the only other person who’s done it, and it would have been harder for (Hayne) coming back mid-season.

“Val’s been lucky to have the majority of a pre-season which is when you do your hardest training, get your fitness levels back.

“The Cowboys were good in sort of easing him back into full training with everyone else, and since he’s been back doing everything he’s more than kept up. He’s leading different things. His body shape I don’t think changed too much.

“I saw him throughout the process of when he came back in between and I didn’t think he had changed too much. I knew he put on a few kilos but he’s back at what he was playing at before he left.”

Holmes will be aiming to compete in the Cowboys’ pre-season trial games, with an eye to wearing the No.1 jersey in Round 1 against Broncos on March 13.