Kicking off his 2023 season in style, Xavier Coates will achieve a milestone 50 NRL games on Thursday night against the Parramatta Eels.
Hailing from Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea and beginning his rugby league journey with the Currumbin Eagles, ‘Xav’ went on to make his first-grade debut at 18-years-old with the Brisbane Broncos in 2019 where he made an instant impression, scoring a try.
Becoming an immediate stand-out, 2020 saw Coates selected for his first Origin series with the Queensland Maroons. Assuming his position on the wing, Xav scored a thrilling try in his first hit-out at a Representative level – a standard which has remained.
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| Xavier Coates in Origin - image credit |
The young star has also represented his country of birth at international level, running out alongside his PNG teammates in the 2019 against Samoa. He was set to go again in the 2021 Rugby League World Cup but returned home due to injury.
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| Xavier with Storm fans - image credit |
Quick to become a fan favourite with the Storm faithful after making the switch from Brisbane at the end of 2021, Coates signed a contract extension with Melbourne in April keeping the flyer in purple until at least 2026.
Finishing 2022 with a total 16 tries, the winger secured the crown as the Club’s top try scorer of the year in his first season in purple. Going over the line in nine of his 17 appearances, Coates pulled off two hat tricks throughout the year.
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| Xavier attempts to score a try against Eels - image credit |
Halfway through his untouchable first season in Melbourne, the winger was selected to represent Queensland in his sixth straight Origin match.
Xavier Coates
49 NRL Games
33 tries
News source www.melbournestorm.com.au
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