According to Morgan, the development of Holmes’ ball-playing skills as a fullback has been the biggest focus of the pre-season given that a strong running game is already part of his skill set.
The Cowboys, who finished 14th last season, are keen to build cohesion through the spine this season.

After Ben Barba was sacked last pre-season, the Cowboys churned through four fullbacks, five five-eighths and three halfbacks due to a mix of injuries, form and representative duties.

The most stable position was at hooker, where Jake Granville played all but one game. Part of building stability is encouraging Holmes to take the ball-playing pressure off Morgan, who switched between the halves and fullback at various stages last year.

‘‘It was a little bit of a rollercoaster,’’ Morgan said of his form last season. ‘‘Some good, some bad. My strength has always been my running and I probably lost that a little bit last year. ’’
AAP