Melbourne Storm to Benefit from Resting Xavier Coates Ahead of Round-One Clash
Melbourne Storm is set to gain from its decision to hold back representative winger Xavier Coates for Sunday’s NRL season opener against Parramatta, opting not to risk him in the club’s final pre-season trial as he recovered from an ankle injury.
Queensland and Kangaroos star Coates sustained the injury in training early last month, but Storm officials remained confident he would be fit for the round-one showdown with the Eels.
His recovery progressed so well that teammate Will Warbrick believed Coates could have featured in Melbourne’s 36-24 trial defeat to North Queensland at Casey Fields on February 23.
“Xavier’s looking great,” Warbrick said on Thursday.
“He’s been training really well, completed all his rehab, and taken care of his body. He looks fit and ready.
“If he really wanted to, he probably could have played in that second trial, but giving him extra time to recover was the best decision. He’s in good shape.”
Warbrick, who will celebrate his 50th NRL appearance on Sunday, also sat out both of Melbourne’s pre-season games. However, the New Zealander did take part in the Maori All-Stars clash against the Indigenous All-Stars in Sydney last month.
“I probably played more minutes than expected, and the game itself was really intense,” Warbrick said.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect since it was my first All-Stars game. The (Storm) coaches were happy for me to take time to rest and recover before round one.”
Reflecting on his 50-game milestone, Warbrick acknowledged how quickly his NRL journey has progressed.
“It’s been an incredible journey, more than I ever imagined,” he said.
“I’m grateful for all the experiences so far. It has motivated me to aim for higher representative honors and set bigger goals.”
Despite the Storm losing both trial matches, Warbrick believes the team is well-prepared for the season ahead.
“As a team, we’ve trained really well. That might not have shown in the trial games, but we know the effort we’ve put in, and we’re just excited for Sunday,” he said.
“They (Parramatta) are a dangerous side, and we know we need to perform at our best.”
