Big-money Dragons signing Val Holmes faces controversy following off-the-ball incident with Origin teammate

St George Illawarra may face the prospect of losing their high-profile recruit Val Holmes to suspension following a contentious moment during Saturday’s match against South Sydney.

During the first half at Wollongong’s WIN Stadium, the Rabbitohs were leading 6-4 and pushing hard for further points.

As crafty five-eighth Cody Walker navigated towards the right side of the field, his teammate Jai Arrow surged forward, appearing set to receive the ball.

Walker, displaying quick thinking, held onto the ball instead and left Arrow to run a decoy line.

Despite this, Holmes still delivered a heavy tackle on Arrow, knocking down his former State of Origin teammate.

The Queensland forward went down in agony, prompting referee Ashley Klein to immediately signal a penalty against Holmes for the tackle.

After reviewing the incident, both Klein and the Bunker deemed the contact to be of a legal height, resulting in Holmes escaping a sin-bin punishment.

However, shortly thereafter, Arrow was instructed to leave the field for a head injury assessment, indicating the potential for high contact from Holmes.

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Despite the drama, the Dragons’ star—who joined Wollongong this season on a lucrative deal rumoured to be around $850,000 annually—was permitted to continue playing.

Arrow successfully passed his HIA and returned to the field, but was subsequently forced to leave again in the second half due to another head knock.

This time, he was not cleared to re-enter the match following his second assessment.