{"id":185362,"date":"2025-10-02T15:46:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-02T15:46:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/185362\/"},"modified":"2025-10-02T15:46:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-02T15:46:08","slug":"how-storms-high-flying-winger-xavier-coates-could-play-decisive-role-in-nrl-grand-final-nrl","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/185362\/","title":{"rendered":"How Storm\u2019s high-flying winger Xavier Coates could play decisive role in NRL grand final | NRL"},"content":{"rendered":"

The top comment on an Instagram video from six weeks ago said it succinctly. The vision showed the uncanny ability of Melbourne Storm<\/a>\u2019s towering winger Xavier Coates to leap into the air and catch the ball over his opponent, then put it down for a try. \u201cNRL needs to patch this glitch,\u201d one user said.<\/p>\n

The NRL<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n

But none have done it quite like the 194cm Coates, named in the NRL\u2019s team of the season at the Dally M awards on Wednesday. \u201cProbably my best attribute is competing in the air, and teams are going to try to take that away from me,\u201d he says in the lead-up to Sunday\u2019s grand final against Brisbane<\/a>. \u201cThat\u2019s just all a part of the game, and teams are doing it really well now.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2019 first grade career only began in 2019, meaning he has climbed the ladder in around half the time as others.<\/p>\n

Faced with this \u201cglitch\u201d, 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.<\/p>\n

Xavier Coates trains ahead of the grand final. Photograph: Morgan Hancock\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

But against Coates\u2019 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\u2019 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 \u201cescort\u201d. The pair also used their hips and arms to slow the Storm player as his eyes were aimed skywards on to the ball.<\/p>\n

Despite the attention, Coates still made the catch. \u201cI\u2019m not going to change what I\u2019m doing, I\u2019m going to keep doing what I\u2019m doing,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd if it pays off, it pays off. If it doesn\u2019t, it doesn\u2019t. But at least I know I\u2019m competing.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Coates, 24, says he has watched players like the Warriors\u2019 David Fusitu\u2019a and Ken Maumalo, and Penrith\u2019s Brian To\u2019o, change the expectations of what is required of wingers, demanding their greater involvement in tough yardage.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo\u2019o came on the scene and he was the next one that introduced the backfield carriers for wingers,\u201d Coates says. \u201cThat 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Xavier Coates scores a try against the Parramatta Eels earlier this season. Photograph: Joel Carrett\/AAP<\/p>\n

In Coates\u2019 first year in Melbourne in 2022 he averaged 101 run metres per game. This season, he is averaging 150. \u201cIn my early career, it was definitely one of my weaknesses, but I\u2019ve worked really hard at it, and I\u2019ve still got a lot to learn with it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Melbourne\u2019s 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 \u2013 alongs with the kicking threat from backrower Eli Katoa \u2013 means Brisbane need to worry about a bombardment on more than one wing. Although the team sheet suggests Coates \u2013 normally the left winger \u2013 may face Josiah Karapani, the Storm player says he expected to line up against Deine Mariner.<\/p>\n

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. \u201cIt\u2019s just part of our job to stop that threat, and it helps when you have a lot of escort pressure,\u201d Mariner said. \u201cThat will be something we\u2019ll be working on throughout the week, but obviously I\u2019ve just got to give myself my own confidence, knowing that I\u2019ve got to do my best job to stop them there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Coates may be poised to become one of the decisive factors in Sunday\u2019s contest, but the man himself played down how much of a focus he will be for fans and commentators. \u201cI reckon they\u2019re going to be talking about Reece Walsh more than they\u2019re going to be talking about me.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The top comment on an Instagram video from six weeks ago said it succinctly. The vision showed the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":185363,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,761,762,158,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-185362","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nrl","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-national-rugby-league","11":"tag-nationalrugbyleague","12":"tag-nrl","13":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185362","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=185362"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/185362\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/185363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=185362"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=185362"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=185362"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}