North Queensland Cowboys star Valentine Holmes has broken his silence on the drama surrounding the photo of him with a bag of white powder.
In September, Holmes uploaded the photo to his own Instagram account before deleting it and has since learnt his punishment for his actions.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Valentine Holmes learns ‘white bag’ fate.
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Holmes apologised for his actions and said the incident has had a big impact on his family.
“I am deeply sorry for the damaging effect my decisions have had on the club and my family,” Holmes said in a statement.
“My actions, while not illegal, were immature and irresponsible.
“I am determined to restore the confidence and trust of the club as well as our stakeholders, members and fans.”
Cowboys chairman Lewis Ramsay said Holmes showed “extreme remorse” for his actions.
“Drugs are a larger societal issue and the image posted glorifies a culture our club does not condone,” he said.
Cowboys CEO Jeff Reibel added: “Valentine’s standing in the game means he holds an important position as a role model both inside our club and in the wider community and he understands he has let people down.
“We will support Valentine as he works to make amends for what was an especially poor choice.”
In a controversial decision, Holmes was earlier selected by Australia coach Mal Meninga in the 21-man squad for the upcoming Pacific Championships with a punishment from the NRL hanging over his head.
The Queensland Maroons star was investigated by the NRL integrity unit and hit with a one-match suspension and a $25,000 fine, having earlier been given a $100,000 fine ($50,000 suspended) by the Cowboys.
Despite the 28-year-old being suspended for the Kangaroos game against Samoa on October 14, Meninga said it would be good for Holmes to still be around the squad.
“Just to have him part of the squad, training with the squad, getting back to that rugby league environment will be good for him,” Meninga said.
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