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Origin Game 1, 2022: 22-year-old Xavier Coates was one of those certain starters for the Maroons, in his third year of Origin.
Coates had tasted Origin glory in 2020, however did not play Game 3 because of a groin injury. He played all three games in the 2021 losing effort, and played Game 1 last year, only to suffer an ankle injury that would see him miss about seven games of footy.
As luck would have it, up at the Broncos, the club that blooded Coates into the NRL, back in 2019, had a new kind of Queensland winger developing, the kind of stand-out winger Brisbane are known for producing traditionally – the likes of Wendell Sailor, Lote Tuqiri, Justin Hodges and Jharal Yow Yeh (unfortunate early retirement).
That talented 21-year-old Brisbane young gun Selwyn Cobbo, the way he played the game at wing had many of the game’s greats singing praise over the then-teenage talent. According to Billy Slater, he will continue to be in Queensland’s long -erm plans and to put it bluntly the only reason behind Coates being dropped in the pecking order of Queensland outside back stocks.
One thing that always has this reporter wondering is how would Coates’ Origin career gone if he hadn’t injured himself in last year’s opening game. Would he have maintained his position?
From seven appearances for Queensland, Coates has three tries, and he barely does a thing wrong for Queensland, as is a common trait of nearly every Queenslander who wears the jersey. His try in Game 2 and big carriers are a testament to his commitment to developing his game.
I’ve tried to understand the logic behind Slater’s outside backs development plans. When Coates made his debut he was talked about as a long-term investment outside back, with qualities in his game such as his aerial prowess, speed, and unstoppable try -coring instincts and awareness close to the line.
However, since his injury last year, Slater has taken a different direction, one that has him now rooting for Cobbo, some would say a like-for-like winger to Coates, and just a year younger than Coates.
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Only Slater has an expert eye very few players and legends have, in regards to seeing the small things in a player’s game that would elevate them over another player with similar attributes in physique and skill.
Slater’s decision this season to pick Cobbo ahead of Coates, and even considering Murray Taulagi ahead of Coates seemed unfair, however as previously stated, there is a suspicion that Queensland has a outside backs development plan that compliments the overall game plan, and at the moment Cobbo and Taulagi seem the fit incumbent wing pair.
Coates was lucky to play Game 2 and would take motivation from showcasing his skill again for the Maroons, and not letting any of his teammates down.
It is unlucky, however, that a fit Cobbo would push Coates out of contention once more.
