Xavier Coates is “stoked”, smiling and excited on the eve of his first NRL final, so happy to be in Melbourne he’s signed on until 2026.
It’s a far cry from where the star Storm winger was 12 months ago when the walls were closing in at the battling Brisbane Broncos and for someone who hadn’t even played 30 games it became too much.
So talented that he was picked to make his NRL debut at 18, Coates revealed this week that for someone still trying to learn the game, to become the player everyone wanted him to be, the intensity of the criticism “took a toll” and he had to get out.
“It was a bit tough up in Brizzy when we weren’t winning games and the media sort of hammering us, and as a young fellow it did take a bit of a toll on me,” Coates, now 21 and with 47 NRL games, including six for Queensland, said on the eve of the Storm’s elimination final showdown with Canberra.
“I didn’t really speak about it too much and I sort of just kept it to myself, but when you have that media constantly on your back and you’re a young fella trying to understand the game of NRL and you’re just trying to enjoy you footy, it does take a bit of a toll on you.
“Coming down here, it’s just eased that right off and obviously down here they’re not big on rugby league, it’s all AFL, so you can sort of live a normal life down here and just get away from footy I think.
“If you have a bad game, you can get away from it really well down here in Melbourne. Like I’m just really enjoying my time down here.
“I’m stoked with my move down here and I was stoked as soon as I came down in November and started pre-season. Usually, it‘s the most gruelling time of the year, but it was the best time. I enjoyed my footy then and I’m loving it now.”
Coates couldn’t have made a better start to life in a Storm jersey, scoring tries in all of his first three games, then soaring even higher with bags of four against the Warriors on Anzac Day and then a hat-trick the following week against Newcastle.
In seven matches for his new team, Coates had nine tries and was flying, his form franked by selection for Queensland and a return to State of Origin.
But it was while playing for the Maroons in the opening match in Sydney that Coates suffered an injury setback he initially feared could end his season. A high-grade syndesmosis injury forced him to have surgery for the first time.
Not knowing what his immediate playing future looked like, Coates was relieved when he was given a six-week recovery timeframe, and the support of injured teammates, including co-captain Christian Welch, soothed the initial blow.
“It was my first proper injury. I had surgery and I’ve never had surgery before, so I think I was more nervous going under this snip than anything,” Coates said.
“But when surgery finished, I spoke to a few boys that were injured. You got Christian Welsh, Georgie Jennings, Reimis (Smith), and all those boys are doing it a lot tougher than myself. I had around a six-week recovery process and those boys are out for the majority of the season.
“So talking to them, they just said keep everything positive and just don’t be too down on yourself because you can’t change the outcome anymore than what’s already happened. So only thing you can change is your attitude going towards training and how you get your body right to come back.”
Coates returned in round 21 after missing nine matches, without a warm-up game, such was the faith of coach Craig Bellamy and how important the 195cm winger had become to the Storm, particularly with the team’s backline devastated by injury.
There were a few nervous moments on return too.
“In one of the tackles it (the ankle) got twisted, I got a bit scared that I had redone it,” Coates said.
“But I just aggravated the joint, so I was a bit panicky on the field but went back in and then got it strapped up a bit more heavier, just for reassurance in my head.
“And then the next week when we played Panthers it came all good, so I think it was just get a bit of balance on it and getting some movement back into it and it’s all good now.”
He’s all good mentally for his first final, with the words of Storm legend, and Queensland coach, Billy Slater ringing in his ears after the former superstar dished out some advice this week.
“He spoke to us and he just said in the meeting don‘t change anything that you normally do,” Coates said.
“He said it is a big game. It is finals and if you do lose, you’re out of the competition. But he said sometimes you can put too much pressure on yourself and you know, you don’t want to have the mindset that you want to be the standout player out there.
“You just want to do your job, and if you do your job well, and everyone does their job well, then majority of the time you’re going to win the game.
“Coming down here, I want to become a better person, a better player and ultimately win a premiership, and I’m one step closer to that and I get to achieve my first finals game this Saturday.”
