'Never been part of a group like this': Why Cowboys can go all the way

North Queensland hero Valentine Holmes believes Saturday night’s epic 93rd minute defeat of Cronulla proves the Cowboys are on track to complete the biggest turnaround in NRL history with a premiership win.

Holmes converted a Jason Taumalolo try 15 seconds before full time to send the qualifying final at PointsBet Stadium into extra time and then kicked a 43-metre field goal to snatch a 32-30 victory against his former club.

The victory puts the Cowboys within one win of an unlikely grand final appearance after finishing 15th last season, and Holmes insists they can now go all the way.

“I know it is only the first week of the finals but that match was the definition of almost a grand final game,” Holmes said.

“It had literally everything - it was very physical from the kick off, it had good tries, good players, it was very scrappy, very good defensively, with big shots and it came down to golden point.

“I have never been a part of a group, and a coaching staff, that have been able to turn around a team like that.

“I think we had five or six guys play Origin this year and that comes from what we started in pre-season and how well we trained, and how we have played for each other.”

The Cowboys trailed 30-22 in the 74th minute but after achieving last gasp wins against Manly and Wests Tigers their self-belief is sky high and they showed patience by opting for a penalty goal when Connor Tracey was sin-binned.

After the match went to golden point following a scoreless 10 minutes of extra-time, Holmes told team-mates he wanted to set up for a field goal and directed Taumalolo and Reuben Cotter to run towards the posts.

“I didn’t want any of the backs taking carries because obviously the whole game they were driving us back, which they are very good at,” Holmes explained.

“I wanted our middles to get their hands on the ball. All we wanted was them just going straight down the middle. I just needed to be over halfway, around the 40 [metre zone], and that gave me the best opportunity to kick it.

“I wanted Rubes and Jason to get the last two carries - four and five - because I know they get the most ruck speed and quick play the balls for us

“I yelled at Rubes and said I wanted him to take a carry, which he did, and Jase took the next one. ‘Hulk’ [Taumalolo] had a massive carry - 15 metres - and a quick play the ball and that was all I could ask for.

“He took it to the right post, and I wanted him to go to the right post. It was like we planned it, which we did. It was a team effort, especially that last set. I had to obviously nail that last kick.”

The Cowboys now have two weeks off before hosting the winner of Friday night's Eels-Raiders clash at QCB Stadium for a place in their first grand final since 2017.

Holmes praised the coaching staff of Todd Payten and his assistants Dean Young and Steve Georgallis for rebuilding the club following the retirement of Johnathan Thurston, Matt Scott and Michael Morgan.

“The past couple of years, since Johno and Matt Scott and all those guys retired, there was a bit of a slump but all teams go through that," Holmes said.

“We knew we had guys who could score tries – good halves and a good fullback – but it was just defensively we needed to be better.

"Our defensive efforts the past few years have been pretty poor and we turned that around. I am pretty sure we were the worst last year and are now in the top five."