Xavier Coates

Xavier Coates is a Papua New Guinea international rugby league footballer who plays as a winger for the Brisbane Broncos in the NRL.

Xavier Coates
Personal information
Full nameXavier Coates
Born (2001-03-12) 12 March 2001
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Height194 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight100 kg (15 st 10 lb)
Playing information
PositionWing, Centre
Club
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2019– Brisbane Broncos 12 6 0 0 24
Representative
Years Team Pld T G FG P
2019– Papua New Guinea 1 0 0 0 0
As of 3 August 2019
Source: [1]

Background

Coates was born in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea and raised on the Gold Coast, Queensland.


Junior Career

Xavier Coates played his junior football at Currumbin Eagles[2] on the Gold Coast, the same club as Ben Ikin. Xavier commenced rugby league in 2010 as a 9 yo and played junior rugby league at the Eagles until 2018 where he was instrumental in the Currumbin Eagles U17 Premiership under the watchful eye of coach, ex Melb Storm player Matt Geyer[3].

Xavier's rugby league development is anything but conventional. Xavier never made an underage representative team, being over looked on multiple occasions. This culminated in 2016, where he nearly gave up rugby league to pursue his other love, athletics and his dream of being an olympian[4]. The calling of rugby league was too strong for Coates and he returned to the field in the Currumbin Eagles Undefeated Premiership winning U16[5] team in 2017. This was to be pivotal as on a cold May evening with the Currumbin Eagles playing the Helensvale Hornets a Brisbane Bronco's talent scout had come to view the game as several young Bronco's contracted players were playing including Tom Dearden[6] . The scout only had eyes for one player after the game, Xavier. After being signed to the Bronco's Xavier was invited to the Bronco's summer camp where he impressed coaches and trainers and was selected in the 2018 Qld emerging U18 Origin Squad[7] despite being 16 years old and never having played a representative game. Xavier was selected in the 2018 U18 Qld State of Origin[8] side who went down to NSW 16-10[9]. In 2019 Xavier was fast tracked[10] to senior rugby league with him dominating for his Community Football senior club the Currumbin Eagles. He also excelled in the Qld Major Competition U18 Mal Meninga Cup with the Tweed Heads Seagulls[11] and Intrust Super Cup with the Redcliffe Dolphins[12]. Xavier did make brief appearances for the Tweed Heads Seagulls ISC team, however not being a contracted Titans player saw him transfer to Bronco's feeder club the Dolphins. Xavier was finally selected for his first ever junior representative team in the 2018 U18 South Coast team and the U18 Qld School Boys[13] and once again was selected in the Qld emerging U18 Origin Squad and played in the U18 QLD State of Origin against NSW[14], where QLD won the game 34 - 12 and with Xavier named Man of the Match[15]. Xavier was also inline for a 2019 U20 QLD Origin debut when opportunity came knocking from the PNG Kumuls and subsequently his NRL debut.

Senior Career

Coates made his international debut for Papua New Guinea in their 24–6 defeat by Samoa in the 2019 Oceania Cup.[16]

In round 16 of the 2019 NRL season, Coates made his debut for the Brisbane Broncos against the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, scoring a try.[17]

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gollark: Also consoles bad.
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gollark: If you had copied it it would try to provide a clearer error.
gollark: Good reasons. Anyway, I'll see I can fix it for you, <@129553195314839552>.

References
  1. Rugby League Project
  2. "Currumbin Eagles", Wikipedia, 2020-06-12, retrieved 2020-06-28
  3. "Matt Geyer", Wikipedia, 2020-03-28, retrieved 2020-06-28
  4. "Coates' rise from Olympic hopeful to NRL's fastest man". National Rugby League. 2020-06-24. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
  5. Lindsay, Brendan (2017). "2017 Grand Final Draw". Rugby League Gold Coast. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  6. "Coates inspired to follow in Dearden's footsteps". Queensland Rugby League. 2019-05-30. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
  7. "Under 15, Under 16, Under 18 Emerging Origin squads". Queensland Rugby League. 2017-12-21. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
  8. "Xavier Coates". National Rugby League. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
  9. "NSW U18s v QLD U18s". National Rugby League. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
  10. "Five blinders in 56 days - Coates' stunning rise to NRL". National Rugby League. 2019-07-12. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
  11. What a weapon!' - Xavier Coates, retrieved 2020-06-28
  12. "Xavier Coates". Queensland Rugby League. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
  13. "Schoolboys vie for England tour at national champs". Queensland Rugby League. 2018-07-10. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
  14. "QLD U18s v NSW U18s". National Rugby League. Retrieved 2020-06-28.
  15. Player of the Match Xavier Coates, retrieved 2020-06-28
  16. "Samoa vs Papua New Guinea". Wide World of Sports. 22 June 2019.
  17. "Round 16 NRL team announcements". NRL.com. 3 July 2019.
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