Queensland Maroons flyer Xavier Coates has declared news of Mitchell Moses’ withdrawal from the New South Wales side did not faze him, as he plots to inspire a State of Origin boilover in Perth.
One of the most elite finishers the NRL has seen, the Melbourne Storm winger was poised to endure a Moses bombing barrage, only for news to emerge a calf injury had ruled him out.
It reunites Jarome Luai with Nathan Cleary in the Blues’ halves, their first time playing together since winning four Penrith premierships before Luai’s departure for Wests Tigers.
Mitch Moses has been ruled out of game two.Credit: NRL Photos
While Moses stands as one of the NRL’s most lethal kickers, Coates was adamant Luai presented a different challenge to address.
“His running game is just really strong – he creates a lot of opportunities around him,” Coates said.
“I’m still going to be expecting those kicks to be put up on Wednesday night. They’re both right foot kickers, Moses and Cleary, and now they’ve got Luai who’s a left foot kicker, so they can kick both sides of the field.
“They’ve played a lot of games together, and with the experience, they can build really good combinations and create a lot of effective shape around them.”
Fate always seemed to point Coates towards becoming one of the game’s leading wingers, a destiny he would realise upon leaving the Brisbane Broncos to further his career in Melbourne.
He did not have to look far for a confidant deciding his future, having been taught and coached by club great Matt Geyer.
Geyer – whose son, Cole, is Coates’ best mate – forged a triumphant tenure at the Storm, scoring 113 tries from 262 appearances, while also managing three New South Wales Blues’ caps in 1999.
Coates first came under Geyer’s tutelage at the Currumbin Eagles, before being taught by him in Marymount College’s Advanced Sports Program.
Xavier Coates celebrates a try for the Maroons.Credit: Getty Images
He confirmed while he sought Geyer for insight on what to expect at the Storm, the decision to leave Red Hill was purely his.
“The move was all on me. I spoke to him about his time at Melbourne, and he had nothing bad to say. I just thought it was a great opportunity for me to go down there and learn from one of the best, [coach] Craig Bellamy,” Coates said.
“Since about under-10s he’s been coaching me and helping me out with the fundamentals, which I didn’t get quite at first. I was probably more of an athlete than a rugby league player, so it took a couple of years to get going, but I’m happy that it is all paying off now.
“Even though he’s a Blues man himself, he’s always supporting me.”
While the Blues have been on alert for Queensland to exploit Coates’ aerial brilliance against New South Wales counterpart Brian To’o, the 24-year-old confessed it would not be a tactic they would deviate from.
Their attempts in game one came up short, with Coates denied a penalty try after bobbling the kick, and To’o – who remains under an injury cloud with a hamstring concern – sent to the sin bin for tackling him in the air.
But the 194-centimetre Test star suggested the predictability of the ploy would not deter the Maroons.
“There’s no point in moving away from a strength that we feel our team has, so I think we’re going to keep trying to do that,” Coates said.
“If you have a strength you have to use it, no matter who you’re going up against.”
