‘Deadset unbelievable’: Xavier Coates steals win with ‘best try ever seen’

Xavier Coates has stolen victory for the Storm with an insane acrobatic effort that’s already being called the best NRL try ever seen.

Xavier Coates' ridiculous winning try.

Xavier Coates has produced perhaps the most athletic matchwinning try in rugby league history to steal a thrilling 30-26 win for the Melbourne Storm against the New Zealand Warriors.

The lead changed hands several times in a seesawing affair at AAMI Park on Saturday night and the Storm looked down and out trailing 18-26 with five minutes to go.

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But Ryan Papenhuyzen was put through a hole for his second try in similar fashion, the Storm had a sniff and Nick Meaney’s conversion made it 20-26 with three minutes remaining.

The Storm had possession in the final minute and had to go for the try when they made too much ground to attempt a two-point 40m field goal.

The ball came out to the left edge with Papenhuyzen passing to Reimis Smith, who gave the ball to Xavier Coates.

What happened next was epic. Coates leapt into the air from around five metres out and somehow got enough hang time to ground the ball without being tackled by Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.

Warren Smith exclaimed in commentary on Fox League: “Xavier Coates! Can you believe it! He jumped like a rainbow and came up with a pot of gold for Melbourne. Unbelievable.”

Watch Xavier Coates’ matchwinning try in the video player above.

Xavier Coates leaps high to score the matchwinning try. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

The most acrobatic try you will ever see. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

He just got it down. Photo: Fox League.

The Storm were confident it was a try and replays showed Coates got the ball down just before his left arm touched the turf, giving Melbourne a thrilling victory as the clock ran out.

Michael Ennis said: “The amount of time he is in the air is deadset unbelievable.

“He leaps from five or six metres out. Oh my gosh.

“That’s the best try I’ve ever seen.

“I’m not sure we’ve ever seen one like it. That is absolutely ridiculous what he’s just done.

“He’s leapt from five or six metres out and he’s completely vertical.”

“That’s the greatest individual effort I’ve ever seen on the football field for someone to win a match,” Storm legend Cooper Cronk said.

“Not a try but to win a match. Ten seconds to go on the clock, Xavier Coates leaps six metres in the air to get to the tryline, flips himself upside down and lateral and puts it down on deadset a millimetre of grass.

“That is phenomenal.”

Absolute scenes. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

Asked how he pulled off the acrobatic try, Coates said: “To be fair, I don’t really know. It was a bit of adrenaline going.

“I didn’t even know if I got the ball down, when all the boys were rushing up all around me, I didn’t even know if I got the ball down, so I couldn’t really celebrate with them.

“But it popped up on the big screen and I ended up getting a try.

“I was thinking I don’t want to put my left hand down on the sideline.

“I knew I was up in the air and I just ended up getting the ball down.

“Pretty happy to get the ball down and finish the game the way we did.”

“That was the most exhilarating grandstand finish we have ever seen,” Yvonne Sampson added on Fox League’s post-game coverage.

“Xavier Coates was entirely airborne, his whole body was out of bounds, he had no time, no space, but he still delivered a matchwinner we will never, ever forget.

“I’ve never seen a finish to a game quite like that.”

The result means Melbourne have started the season 2-0 while the gallant Warriors are still searching for their first win.

Simply phenomenal from Xavier Coates. (Photo by Daniel Pockett/Getty Images)

NRL world reacts to Coates try

CODE Sports’ Lachlan McKirdy wrote on X: “Surely we can agree it’s the most spectacular match-winning try? In terms of occasion, being two points down with 15 seconds to go. Mental!”

The ABC’s Catherine Murphy said: “HOW is this EVEN POSSIBLE.”

Fox Sports’ Justin Edwards said: “One of the greatest pieces of athleticism and skill I’ve seen in any sport.

Sports presenter Michael Atkinson described Coates’ try as “genuinely insane.”