North Queensland's Valentine Holmes is prepared for a finals showdown with his former club Cronulla on Saturday, and says his preparation has been the key to a role switch in 2022.
Holmes spent the majority of last season in the fullback jumper before shifting to the frontline as a centre this year.
He's dazzled and electrified the Cowboys' attack, and celebrated a hattrick in their final game of the season on Saturday.
Holmes not only solved the Cowboys' centre puzzle this year, he also kicked his way to becoming the NRL's top points scorer.
He says a switch to the centres was a difficult transition at first but that his 2019 NFL stint with the New York Jets fine-tuned his composition.
"The centre position - I've kind of made it my own," Holmes said.
"It definitely was a challenge at the start of the year. I've never played there before at an elite level like this.
"But I think that's one thing that I learnt going over to the NFL, going to the Jets, is just how to prepare for games and how to take on games."
Holmes and teammate Chad Townsend will face the club they won the 2016 premiership with in Cronulla on Saturday, seeking to lift the Cowboys to within one game of the grand final after a miraculous year in Queensland's north.
The 27-year-old Holmes played 109 games for Cronulla, scoring 66 tries between 2014-2018 and leading the club in their premiership year with 19 tries.
Townsend, a Sutherland Shire local, played 146 games for the Sharks across two stints and remains the sole premiership-winning halfback for the club.
The Sharks spoiled Townsend's first game against them in round 18, albeit with the Cowboys missing several State of Origin representatives.
He said he couldn't wait for Saturday's showdown.
"It's going to be a big game," Townsend said.
"I'm excited for it and the fact that we get to play them yeah, it definitely excites me."
