Latest news with #XavierCoates
News.com.au
23-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Storm coach Craig Bellamy concedes there's no clear timeline on Ryan Papenhuyzen return
Melbourne Storm Craig Bellamy says there haven't been many 'better buys' than star winger Xavier Coates, with his 100th game milestone set to stir the team into action after the disappointment of an embarrassing failure in front of the club's former players last weekend. Bellamy was still stinging from last Saturday's loss to Manly on 'Old Boys' night given the importance he had put on significant club events during his 23 years at the helm. A five-day turnaround between the defeat and Thursday's clash with the Sydney Roosters demanded he 'move on' quickly after what would have been a piercing review. The coach conceded it would be tough, particularly having to travel, and without star playmaker Cameron Munster, electric fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen and enforcer Nelson Asofa-Solomona. But a response looms likely given the tone in Bellamy's voice on Wednesday that suggested his frustration with the effort against Manly would have reverberated through the playing group. 'That was disappointing for me,' he said of losing in front of the former players. 'Obviously, we don't like losing any game, we don't like losing at home, but to have all the old boys down and to actually perform like that ... getting beat in this competition is going to happen at times but just the way we started the game was really disappointing.' The loss, Storm's fifth of the season, made winning every game on the road to the finals crucial to lock up a top-four spot. But while Munster, who is missing the clash with the Roosters to attend his father's funeral, should be back as soon as next week to help the charge, Papenhuyzen's recovery from a calf injury is not as clear. He's now missed four games. 'When it first was happening it was only going to be a week, so I'm not quite sure,' Bellamy said. 'I don't understand injuries all that well. I haven't done any PhD or whatever it is, so we just need to get on with what we've got.' They don't have Asofa-Solomona, who was suspended for an errant elbow that also cost Storm a penalty last week. Asked on Wednesday whether there was a 'fine balance' between using the big man's aggression and curbing his outbursts, Bellamy gave a terse response. 'Yeah, it seems to be a fine balance,' he said, without expanding. Coates will be flying down the wing in his 100th game for the Storm since crossing from the Brisbane Broncos and thriving. The coach was full of praise for the State of Origin star. 'What he's put in form wise and what he's added to the club, not only on the field but off the field, there hasn't been too many better buys than Xavier,' Bellamy said. 'What he's done here has been exceptional and really proud of him and really proud he plays his 100th game here and hopefully he'll play a lot more milestones here.'
News.com.au
21-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
‘Wasn't up to scratch': Roosters on notice as Storm looks to bounce back from costly loss in star's milestone match
Milestone man Xavier Coates will play his 100th NRL game on Thursday night, but the human highlights reel isn't ready to celebrate after a Storm performance that 'wasn't up to scratch' and could cost them a crucial top-two finish. Coates suffered his first loss at AAMI Park since 2022 when the Storm were upset by Manly thanks to a late penalty goal despite him scoring three tries. It sets up a cracking contest with Roosters winger Mark Nawaqanitawase, who is level with him on 13 tries and has already wrapped up try of the year after Coates won it last year. Scoring tries isn't the Storm star's main focus after his side completed just 71 per cent of their sets and conceded two costly penalties to drop to third spot ahead of a tricky trip to Sydney. 'We've had some really tough conversations over the last few days in the review of the game, and our discipline wasn't up to scratch,' he said. 'We weren't completing like we usually do, and it was an off game for all of us boys, but we're looking to bounce back on Thursday and we know we're coming up against another quality opposition in the Roosters, so we've got to be on our 'A' game. 'Our performance wasn't up to scratch on Saturday night and it's not the style of footy that we want to play. 'We're fixing it up during this training week and making sure we're nailing basics first and foremost and not trying to play flashy footy.' Dolphins flyer Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow is the only player who has scored more tries than the aerial acrobat this season, but a win is all he wants after a mixed night against Manly. It's a bird... It's a plane... It's Xavier Coates! 🦸â€�♂ï¸� — NRL (@NRL) July 19, 2025 'All that stuff is nice and all, but there are a lot of things that I want to fix up in my game,' he said. 'There were a lot of things that I feel I didn't do well on Saturday night, so I know this week I want to fix them up, and hopefully I come out on Thursday and fix that all up.' Coates has taken a lot of confidence out of Queensland's State of Origin win and is feeling good after dealing with hamstring issues in the past. He's playing his most consistent footy in his fourth season at the club after he made his debut with the Broncos, with Coates scoring 72 tries heading into his 100th appearance. 'It's a bit of a weird feeling. It's gone pretty quickly and I still feel like an 18-year-old,' he said. 'I'm 24 now and will have 100 games under my belt, so it's a surreal feeling. It's a massive achievement to do it here at the Melbourne Storm which is such a great club that have done so much for me. 'My teacher and mentor back on the Gold Coast for junior footy was Matty Geyer, who played here at the Melbourne Storm and is a club legend. 'He's done so much for the game and so much for the club. He used to speak about how great of a club it is, and I always thought what it would be like to play there. 'Now that I'm in the position I'm in, it's a surreal feeling and I'm really excited to go out on Thursday and do my job to hopefully get the win.'
Washington Post
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Queensland beats New South Wales to win the State of Origin rugby league series in Australia
SYDNEY — Queensland scored 20 unanswered points in the first half and went on to beat New South Wales 24-12 Wednesday in the third and deciding State of Origin rugby league match, one of the most anticipated sporting events in Australia each year. Before a sellout crowd of 80,256 at the Olympic stadium in Sydney, winger Xavier Coates scored his sixth try in seven Origin appearances to help give Queensland an 8-0 lead in the 18th minute.
Hamilton Spectator
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Queensland beats New South Wales to win the State of Origin rugby league series in Australia
SYDNEY (AP) — Queensland scored 20 unanswered points in the first half and went on to beat New South Wales 24-12 Wednesday in the third and deciding State of Origin rugby league match, one of the most anticipated sporting events in Australia each year. Before a sellout crowd at the Olympic stadium in Sydney, winger Xavier Coates scored his sixth try in seven Origin appearances to help give Queensland an 8-0 lead in the 18th minute. Halfback Tom Dearden scored Queensland's second try in the 27th minute and the Maroons led 14-0 after Valentine Holmes again kicked a conversion. Harry Grant muscled his way past three New South Wales defenders to score Queensland's third try in the final minute of the half and send the Maroons to the break with a 20-0 lead. Center Stephen Crichton got New South Wales on the board with a try in the 56th minute. But Dearden scored his second try of the match with seven minutes remaining to put the match away for the Maroons. It was the first points Queensland scored in the second half of any of the three Origin matches this year. Queensland captain Cameron Munster played in the match just days after the sudden death of his father, Steven, last weekend at the age of 58. New South Wales took a 1-0 lead in the series with an 18-6 win at Brisbane on May 28. Queensland leveled it with a 26-24 victory at Perth on June 18, hanging on after also leading by 20 points at halftime, 26-6. New South Wales won last year's series after beating Queensland 14-4 in the deciding match at Brisbane. The State of Origin series was first played in 1982 and Queensland has won it 25 times, including eight years in a row from 2006 to 2013. New South Wales has won it 17 times, and there have been two drawn series. ___ AP sports:
Al Arabiya
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Queensland Beats New South Wales to Win the State of Origin Rugby League Series in Australia
Queensland scored 20 unanswered points in the first half and went on to beat New South Wales 24–12 Wednesday in the third and deciding State of Origin rugby league match–one of the most anticipated sporting events in Australia each year. Before a sellout crowd at the Olympic stadium in Sydney, winger Xavier Coates scored his sixth try in seven Origin appearances to help give Queensland an 8–0 lead in the 18th minute. Halfback Tom Dearden scored Queensland's second try in the 27th minute, and the Maroons led 14–0 after Valentine Holmes again kicked a conversion. Harry Grant muscled his way past three New South Wales defenders to score Queensland's third try in the final minute of the half and send the Maroons to the break with a 20–0 lead. Center Stephen Crichton got New South Wales on the board with a try in the 56th minute. But Dearden scored his second try of the match with seven minutes remaining to put the match away for the Maroons. It was the first points Queensland scored in the second half of any of the three Origin matches this year. Queensland captain Cameron Munster played in the match just days after the sudden death of his father, Steven, last weekend at the age of 58. New South Wales took a 1–0 lead in the series with an 18–6 win at Brisbane on May 28. Queensland leveled it with a 26–24 victory at Perth on June 18, hanging on after also leading by 20 points at halftime, 26–6. New South Wales won last year's series after beating Queensland 14–4 in the deciding match at Brisbane. The State of Origin series was first played in 1982, and Queensland has won it 25 times, including eight years in a row from 2006 to 2013. New South Wales has won it 17 times, and there have been two drawn series.
