Drinkwater's situation has been made clear during pre-season training, where he and Jake Clifford have spent most of their time auditioning for a spot in the halves to partner club captain Michael Morgan.

Holmes, signed on a six-year deal after an unsuccessful attempt to break into the NFL, has shown he's the man to wear the No.1 when the Cowboys face Brisbane in their NRL opener on March 13 at Queensland Country Bank Stadium.

"I'm sure he'll be good to go round one. He's been training there all pre-season," Drinkwater said of Holmes.

"He's been killing it. Hasn't missed a beat so I don't see myself playing fullback."

Drinkwater joined the Cowboys in the middle of last season after growing frustrated with the lack of first-grade opportunities at Melbourne.

Having started 2019 as the man set to get first crack at filling the void left by Billy Slater's retirement, Drinkwater injured a pectoral muscle in pre-season and found himself behind Ryan Papenhuyzen and Jahrome Hughes at the Storm.

His move to Townsville paid immediate dividends, with the 22-year-old making 10 appearances at fullback for the Cowboys in the second half of the season.

Rather than slip back into the reserves with Holmes's arrival, however, Drinkwater is hopeful of forcing Paul Green to select him in the halves - having played halfback throughout his junior career.

"When I moved to fullback I probably wasn't happy about going to play fullback because I always played in the halves," Drinkwater said.

"I probably do feel more comfortable playing in the halves, having the ball in my hands and making those decisions instead of being a full-time runner.

"It's something that I'm very comfortable with and it is a little bit fortunate for me that I can fit back there."

Australian Associated Press