NRL 2021: Broncos make 11th hour play to reverse Xavier Coates’ Storm move

The Broncos haven’t given up on keeping Xavier Coates at the club despite the Origin winger reportedly signing with the Storm.

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New Brisbane boss Dave Donaghy will hold urgent talks with the management of Xavier Coates in a desperate last-ditch bid to keep the Queensland Origin winger at the Broncos.

Coates’ manager Nash Dawson will meet with Donaghy on Friday as the Broncos chief executive seeks clarity on the rookie’s future on the eve of Saturday night’s clash against the Cowboys in Townsville.

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The Broncos have been rocked by a report Coates is poised to quit the club to sign a two-year deal with Melbourne from next season.

Coates first met with Storm coach Craig Bellamy on the Gold Coast last December, well before former Melbourne CEO Donaghy began his career as Brisbane boss last Saturday.

With Donaghy at arm’s length for much of the negotiations, the Broncos chief executive wants a full appraisal of the Coates saga and will ramp-up Brisbane’s efforts in an eleventh-hour attempt to block his Storm defection.

Xavier Coates will sign a two-year deal with the Storm. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty

Donaghy and Melbourne chiefs have been in contact with Dawson over the past 48 hours, with the Gold Coast-based agent insisting his client has not formally signed with any club.

It is understood the off-contract Coates has not communicated his final decision to any club, although the 20-year-old Maroons flyer is believed to have personally made up his mind to link with the Storm.

Donaghy is refusing to give up hope of changing Coates’ mind - just as the Broncos did last month with boom back-row rookie Brendan Piakura.

The Queensland Origin under-18s star was on the verge of inking a two-year contract with the Bulldogs when Broncos coach Kevin Walters swooped in the nick of time, convincing Piakura to stay loyal on a three-year deal.

New Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy. Picture: Liam Kidston.

The Storm are privately hopeful of securing Coates to replace Canterbury-bound speedster Josh Addo-Carr and have tabled a two-year package worth $850,000 in total.

The Broncos are more than prepared to match the terms of Melbourne’s offer and could have the salary-cap scope to win a bidding war against the Storm.

Coates is tipped to make a definitive call after the Cowboys clash at Queensland Country Bank Stadium with the Storm anticipating a response on Monday.

The Broncos have a history of staving off Storm raids, with Anthony Milford, Corey Oates and Payne Haas among the batch of current Brisbane players who have rejected Melbourne’s interest in the past to remain at Red Hill.

Broncos forward Tevita Pangai Jnr hopes Donaghy and Walters can work their magic over the weekend to keep Coates at Red Hill.

“I would love Xavier to stay,” Pangai Jnr said.

“Three years ago when I was coming off contract, I decided to stay loyal and we are trying to turn the club around.

Coates teammates hope he stays at the club. Picture: AAP/Craig Golding

“If the players are doing the right thing off the field, hopefully we can create a culture and get younger players to stay.

“Xavier is a key part of our future.”

Coates concedes he is flattered to have fielded interest from Storm super coach Bellamy.

“Obviously it does appeal to me playing for Melbourne, but with every NRL club there is a great coach behind a team,” he said.

“There’s no bad coaches in the NRL, obviously Melbourne appeals to me but there are 15 other clubs and they have appeal as well.

“It feels good to be wanted by clubs, but I just want to play consistent footy for the Broncos.”

Below: How we broke the Coates signing story

- Michael Carayannis, Peter Badel, Travis Meyn

Brisbane young gun Xavier Coates will reject advances from the three Queensland teams to join the Melbourne Storm.

The 20-year-old will ink a short-term deal with the Storm – expected to be for just two seasons – and worth less than what he could have commanded had he remained at the Broncos or joined another NRL rival.

The Sunday Telegraph reported this week that the Storm were closing in on Coates’ signature after he flew to Melbourne to check out the club’s facilities.

The decision is a major blow for the Broncos who were desperate to retain the Maroons flyer. He now joins a long-list of emerging first graders to walkout on Brisbane who have lost the likes of Reece Walsh, Sam Walker and David Fifita in recent years.

Coates was non-committal when speaking about his future at Broncos training on Wednesday.

“It feels good to be wanted by clubs,” Coates said.

“I am young and still finding my feet, I just want to play consistent footy for the Broncos. I am here for this year, I have the mentors here to help me learn, so each day I come to training with an open mindset.”

Asked if he would be at the Broncos next year, Coates laughed and said, “I am just focused on playing good footy.

“Obviously it does appeal to me playing for Melbourne, but with every NRL club there is a great coach behind a team. There’s no bad coaches in the NRL, obviously Melbourne appeals to me but there are 15 other clubs and they have appeal as well.”

Xavier Coates will sign a two-year deal with the Storm. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty

Coates and Tom Dearden, who is North Queensland-bound, lived with hooker Andrew McCullough.

He admitted their departures had affected him.

“It was tough, seeing Macca leave, he played a big part with me at the club. He helped me out in my first year of footy. He was the first person to come to me when I started at the club and he made a good bond with me and Tommy.

“We stayed at Macca’s place for a while and he helped us out. It’s disheartening to see Tom go to the Cowboys but that’s football.

“It’s a bit difficult. I’m only new and 20 years and learning my craft. I’m leaving it to my manager. My main goal is to play consistent football and playing for the Broncos this year.

“Tom knows within himself what decision was right for him, he is living his life and I’m living mine.

The Storm’s six-month pursuit of Coates was a targeted operation after they identified the prolific try-scorer as the perfect replacement for Addo-Carr.

Melbourne boss Matt Tripp said Coates would fit in well with the Storm’s system.

“Xavier is one of several guys we are looking at given that we are going to lose Josh Addo-Carr,” Tripp said.

“I wouldn’t say Xavier is the only guy we are chasing when we are talking outside backs, there are a number of guys we are looking at, but Xavier would certainly be welcome at the Storm if he chose to leave the Broncos.

“I don’t know if he is going to leave the Broncos or not. There are four or five clubs chasing him, but if was to come to Melbourne, he would solve a few of our problems with us losing Josh.

“He is a very talented young guy, no doubt about that. He seems to be a quality person as well which would bode well for any club that gets him.

“He is contracted to the Broncos at the moment but hopefully we can get him.”

BROKEN BRONCOS SERIES

PART I: How teammate told Fifita to leave Broncos

PART II: Contract bungles holding Broncos to ransom

PART III: Broncos boss’ blessing: Kev, rip Red Hill apart

PART IIII: How new Broncos boss plans to fix the club

But the news is not all bad for the Broncos who are expected to re-sign Kotoni Staggs. Staggs attracted interest from Parramatta, Manly and Newcastle but the 22-year-old is likely to recommit to the Broncos. Despite yet to play a game this season because of a knee injury, Staggs was in hot demand from rivals.

But the impending loss of Coates is a huge blow for the Broncos who are in the midst of reshaping their struggling roster.

North Queensland and Gold Coast also pushed hard for Coates but the attraction of playing in Melbourne and learning under coach Craig Bellamy was a temptation which proved too much for him to ignore.

Coates met with Bellamy in December.

It is also an indication that the off-contract Bellamy is expected to remain in Melbourne for at least one more season.

New Broncos boss Dave Donaghy labelled rival clubs as “vultures” for poaching the best young Broncos this week.

The Storm have produced plenty of representative players but you have to go back 15 years to find the last time Melbourne signed an incumbent Origin player.

Ex-Rooster Mick Crocker joined the Storm in 2006 after playing three matches for Queensland in 2005. Coates played the opening two matches of the series last year before missing game three because of a groin injury.

A heap of players including Josh Addo-Carr, Dale Finucane and Jahrome Hughes have made their debut at rival clubs before the Storm helped turn them into representative players.

Coates is a proven finisher. While he may be a direct replacement for Canterbury-bound Josh Addo-Carr, who could easily slot into the centres.

Coates has scored 13 tries from his 23 games – including seven this year.

In December, The Daily Telegraph revealed a secret meeting between Coates, his manager and Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy at a Coolangatta coffee club on the Gold Coast.

Originally published as NRL 2021: Broncos make 11th hour play to reverse Xavier Coates’ Storm move