NRL 2021: Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy meets with Brisbane Broncos star Xavier Coates

A casual meeting involving one of Brisbane’s young stars at a Gold Coast coffee club could have major ramifications for the Broncos.

This is the strongest sign that Storm super coach Craig Bellamy has no interest in joining the Brisbane Broncos when his contract expires with NRL premiers Melbourne at the end of next season.

On Tuesday, Bellamy secretly met with the Broncos’ State of Origin winger Xavier Coates and his manager at the Coolangatta coffee club on the Gold Coast.

He was trying to convince the teenage flyer to replace Canterbury-bound Josh Addo-Carr at the Storm in 2022 … not stay in Brisbane.

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Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy meeting with Brisbane Broncos winger Xavier Coates at a Gold Coast cafe.

Coates’ agent, Nash Dawson, said the 19-year-old was in no rush to make a decision.

“Storm and a couple of other clubs are interested,” Dawson said.

“Craig’s on the Gold Coast with family on holidays and Xavier is from the coast so they caught up and had a good chat.”

The young winger will wait to meet with new Broncos coach Kevvie Walters before a decision is made.

“He hasn’t seen what the Broncos are going to be like now Kevvie is there,” he said.

“There’s no rush. We’d be doing Kevvie a massive injustice.

“He deserves the respect and chance to change the Broncos before Xavier decides what he’s going to do.”

Coates, who comes off contract at the end of 2021, was spotted in Townsville last week taking in the North Queensland summer.

Xavier Coates made his State of Origin debut in 2020. Picture: Nigel Hallett

The Cowboys could not confirm whether Coates or his management had met with club officials but head of football Micheal Luck said a player of his calibre was always on their radar.

Under Walters’ reign, the Broncos have already released Joe Ofahengaue to the Wests Tigers, while the future of prop Matt Lodge at Red Hill remains in doubt.

Coates is one of 11 Broncos off contract at the end of next season with new signing John Asiata, Jesse Arthars, Dale Copley, Tom Dearden, Alex Glenn, Andrew McCullough, Anthony Milford, Tesi Niu, Keenan Palasia and Jordan Riki all on the open market for 2022.

Bellamy is still undecided about his future in the NRL.

He has been offered a massive deal to join the Broncos as a director of coaching.

Melbourne are seeking a replacement for winger Josh Addo-Carr. Picture: Lachie Millard

It would seem more than likely judging by the Coates meeting that he is favouring a similar role at the Storm, whom he led to a 26-20 grand final win over the Penrith Panthers in October, punctuated by a series of animated outbursts in the coach’s box..

The Storm will lose Addo-Carr to the Bulldogs in 2022, but he will play out next season in Melbourne, despite wanting to relocate to Sydney early on compassionate grounds.

They have signed Reimis Smith on a two-year deal after Canterbury agreed to release him from the final year of his Bulldogs contract.