‘Be nice if the refs helped out’: Coates’ plea as Broncos reveal blueprint to stop aerial threat

Storm flyer Xavier Coates has urged the NRL referees to clamp down on illegal blocking tactics in the finals series after the Broncos gave the blueprint for stopping his brilliant aerial ability.

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Coates is unquestionably the NRL’s most dangerous threat in the air, but he was kept largely quiet in the Storm’s 30-14 final round loss to the Broncos, who provided the blueprint to their rivals, according to The Daily Telegraph.

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The 24-year-old has scores 78 tries in 105 games for the Broncos and Storm since his debut in 2019, including 19 in 19 games for Melbourne this season.

But his superb leaping ability has left clubs looking for ways to negate his advantage and since they can’t tackle him in the air, teams are now looking at targeting him on the ground.

Broncos players ran Coates off the ball numerous times in last week’s clash with the Storm, and were happy to concede an ‘escort’ penalty rather than give him a chance in the air.

“I noticed that. I knew it was coming as well,” Coates told The Daily Telegraph.

“I just had to try my best to get myself into a good position to catch the ball.

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“On that night, it obviously didn’t come off, but I’m not going to shy away from it. I’m going to keep sticking to my strengths and that’s one of my strengths.”

Not every escort penalty is picked up by the referees, so Coates believes he needs to work out ways to counter the tactics, but called on the referees to be vigilant.

“It’d be nice if the refs helped out but it’s also on myself,” Coates said.

“I need to get better with that and if teams want to do that I need to come up with a plan to counter those attacks that they’re doing.

“The onus is on myself and I can’t just rely on the refs to give me a good call.

“They might have (provided a blueprint) but like I said, I’m just going to back myself and keep doing what I’ve been doing all year and if it comes off, it comes off and if doesn’t, it doesn’t. I’m going to keep sticking to my strengths.”

The Storm face the Bulldogs at AAMI Park for their qualifying final and no doubt the Bulldogs will have taken note of the Broncos’ ploy.

The winner will host a preliminary final, while the loser faces a sudden death semi-final in week two.

The Storm are set to be without Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Jahrome Hughes (fractured wrist) for most if not all of the finals series due to suspension and injury.