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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
Sport
Jack Snape

How Storm’s high-flying winger Xavier Coates could play decisive role in NRL grand final

Xavier Coates of the Storm takes a catch during the round 22 NRL match between Parramatta Eels and Melbourne Storm
Xavier Coates will be the man to stop when Melbourne Storm take on Brisbane Broncos in the 2025 NRL grand final at Stadium Australia on Sunday. Photograph: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

The top comment on an Instagram video from six weeks ago said it succinctly. The vision showed the uncanny ability of Melbourne Storm’s towering winger Xavier Coates to leap into the air and catch the ball over his opponent, then put it down for a try. “NRL needs to patch this glitch,” one user said.

The NRL changed the rules in 2020 to penalise a defender tackling a player who caught a ball in the air in the name of safety. In recent years the accurate kick to the corner towards a flying winger has become a staple of the sport.

But none have done it quite like the 194cm Coates, named in the NRL’s team of the season at the Dally M awards on Wednesday. “Probably my best attribute is competing in the air, and teams are going to try to take that away from me,” he says in the lead-up to Sunday’s grand final against Brisbane. “That’s just all a part of the game, and teams are doing it really well now.”

The Queenslander now has 26 tries from chips or bombs in his career. Since 2014, only Rooster Daniel Tupou and former Cowboy Kyle Feldt have more, according to statistics collected by David Middleton. But Coates’ first grade career only began in 2019, meaning he has climbed the ladder in around half the time as others.

Faced with this “glitch”, opposing coaches are becoming increasingly desperate in their strategies for mitigating the damage. Brisbane centre Kotoni Staggs grabbed Coates before he even left the ground in a round 27 match, conceding a penalty but preventing a likely try. Concerned by craven counters such as this, the NRL last month reminded clubs players could be sin-binned if wingers like Coates were blocked from getting to the contest.

But against Coates’ desperate opponents will do everything they can. Late in the first half of the preliminary final last Friday, the Storm kicked high and left. The Cronulla winger was Sione Katoa, who positioned himself under the ball, while a pair of Sharks worked to prevent Coates’ progress, turning their backs to the Storm player to maximise their width, and moving slowly towards the landing zone in what is known as an “escort”. The pair also used their hips and arms to slow the Storm player as his eyes were aimed skywards on to the ball.

Despite the attention, Coates still made the catch. “I’m not going to change what I’m doing, I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing,” he says. “And if it pays off, it pays off. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. But at least I know I’m competing.”

The State of Origin representative is known for his aerial ability, as well as his eye-catching corner putdowns. But in the past two seasons he has developed into one of the game’s most well rounded wingers. The position once attracted players with speed and elusiveness, but in an evolution that has accelerated over the past decade, those familiar with the sideline now play a crucial role through the middle of the field.

Coates, 24, says he has watched players like the Warriors’ David Fusitu’a and Ken Maumalo, and Penrith’s Brian To’o, change the expectations of what is required of wingers, demanding their greater involvement in tough yardage.

“To’o came on the scene and he was the next one that introduced the backfield carriers for wingers,” Coates says. “That six-again rule change has really changed the way that wingers play and it speeds the game up, and [the forwards] need a little bit of extra help.”

In Coates’ first year in Melbourne in 2022 he averaged 101 run metres per game. This season, he is averaging 150. “In my early career, it was definitely one of my weaknesses, but I’ve worked really hard at it, and I’ve still got a lot to learn with it,” he says.

Melbourne’s wide threat has been enhanced by the late season return of Kiwi Will Warbrick, who had battled concussion issues for much of the year. The 27-year-old is almost as potent as Coates in the air, and – along with the kicking threat from backrower Eli Katoa – means Brisbane need to worry about a bombardment on more than one wing. Although the team sheet suggests Coates – normally the left winger – may face Josiah Karapani, the Storm player says he expected to line up against Deine Mariner.

Mariner was less sure when asked, saying it could be Coates or Warbrick. Either way, the Broncos player knows he will be in for a busy afternoon. “It’s just part of our job to stop that threat, and it helps when you have a lot of escort pressure,” Mariner said. “That will be something we’ll be working on throughout the week, but obviously I’ve just got to give myself my own confidence, knowing that I’ve got to do my best job to stop them there.”

Coates may be poised to become one of the decisive factors in Sunday’s contest, but the man himself played down how much of a focus he will be for fans and commentators. “I reckon they’re going to be talking about Reece Walsh more than they’re going to be talking about me.”

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