{"id":205045,"date":"2025-10-11T08:51:08","date_gmt":"2025-10-11T08:51:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/205045\/"},"modified":"2025-10-11T08:51:08","modified_gmt":"2025-10-11T08:51:08","slug":"coates-crowned-storms-2025-player-of-the-year-as-exits-loom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/205045\/","title":{"rendered":"Coates Crowned Storm\u2019s 2025 Player of the Year as Exits Loom"},"content":{"rendered":"

On the night of their 2025 awards, the Melbourne Storm honoured their season\u2019s best \u2014 and amid a string of farewells, Xavier Coates<\/a> stood tall, claiming the Cameron Smith Player of the Year award.<\/p>\n

The announcement came with confirmation that Grant Anderson<\/a>, Bronson Garlick<\/a>, Dean Ieremia, Coby Williamson, and Nelson Asofa-Solomona<\/a> will depart the club at or soon after the end of the 2025 season.<\/p>\n

Below, a look at Coates\u2019s achievement, followed by a tribute to those leaving Melbourne and what their exits might mean for the Storm going into 2026.<\/p>\n

Xavier Coates: A season to remember<\/p>\n

For Coates, 2025 was another step up in consistency, power, and finishing prowess. He logged 20 tries in 22 appearances during the season, and that form secured him 33 votes to win the Cameron Smith Player of the Year award \u2014 ahead of fellow stars Eli Katoa, Stefano Utoikamanu<\/a>, and Harry Grant<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This is the second time Coates has won the club\u2019s Player of the Year nod (he previously claimed it in 2023).
Additionally, Coates\u2019s impact extended beyond club walls: he earned a place in the Dally M Team of the Year and scored two tries in three State of Origin matches for Queensland. <\/p>\n

To ensure his presence remains for seasons to come, Melbourne solidified his future by signing him on through to the end of 2027.<\/p>\n

Coates\u2019s aerial ability, speed, and finishing instincts make him a cornerstone for the Storm \u2014 a player around whom the club can continue to build, even as other pieces shift.<\/p>\n

Departing Stormers: Gratitude, transitions, and legacy<\/p>\n

Grant Anderson \u2192 Broncos<\/p>\n

Grant Anderson has been confirmed to depart Melbourne at season\u2019s end and will join the Brisbane Broncos. Over his time in purple, Anderson showed growth and versatility in the centres, and in 2025 he capped off his Storm tenure by being awarded the club\u2019s Most Improved Player. While his time at Storm was relatively short, Anderson\u2019s move gives him new opportunities, and his departure will require Melbourne to look deeper into their backline depth chart.<\/p>\n

Bronson Garlick \u2192 Rabbitohs<\/p>\n

Bronson Garlick will also depart the club. Garlick\u2019s tenure with the Storm didn\u2019t necessarily feature every week in the NRL side, but he has contributed as a depth option, especially at hooker, and has provided value in training, development, and culture. His exit is part of the inevitable turnover that comes with roster evolution. His father Sean played with South Sydney between 1990 and 1993, with a second stint taking place between 1998 and 1999.<\/p>\n

Dean Ieremia \u2192 unsigned<\/p>\n

Dean Ieremia is leaving the club and, as of the awards night, remains unsigned. Ieremia\u2019s time at Melbourne involved flashes of promise, particularly in wing\/edge roles in the extended squad. While he may not have been a weekly starter, his exit reminds us how tight and competitive NRL rosters are \u2014 sometimes even good players must seek fresh opportunities elsewhere.<\/p>\n

Coby Williamson \u2192 unsigned<\/p>\n

Similarly, Coby Williamson is departing and currently without a contract. Williamson had featured in Storm\u2019s extended squads and junior pathways. His departure suggests he will now be seeking a new home, possibly at a club where he can secure more regular top-grade minutes.<\/p>\n

Nelson Asofa-Solomona \u2192 released<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most significant exit is Nelson Asofa-Solomona, who was released after a decade of service. Asofa-Solomona joined Melbourne\u2019s junior ranks in 2011 and went on to become a mainstay of their forward pack. Over 215 games for the Storm, he embodied power, toughness, and experience.<\/p>\n

His 2025 season was marred by injuries and disciplinary setbacks, and he missed the grand final due to suspension. Storm officials acknowledged his outstanding service during the announcement, lamenting the loss of a player of his calibre and wishing him well in his next chapter.<\/p>\n

His release marks the end of an era \u2014 Melbourne loses a seasoned leader whose presence in the pack and in the locker room was consistently valuable.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On the night of their 2025 awards, the Melbourne Storm honoured their season\u2019s best \u2014 and amid a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":205046,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[568],"tags":[64,63,51610,127385,4608,4466,761,762,75778,158,85,43379],"class_list":{"0":"post-205045","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-bronson-garlick","11":"tag-coby-williamson","12":"tag-grant-anderson","13":"tag-melbourne-storm","14":"tag-national-rugby-league","15":"tag-nationalrugbyleague","16":"tag-nelson-asofa-solomona","17":"tag-nrl","18":"tag-sports","19":"tag-xavier-coates"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205045","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=205045"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/205045\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/205046"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=205045"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=205045"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=205045"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}