NEWS New GI, the new Wendell and also Folau

McHunt

McHunt

International Rep
Contributor
Aug 25, 2018
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Badel again, in the Courier Mail on Xavier Coates:

A special Seibold gym regemin has seen former triple jump, high jump and long jump champion Xavier Coates put on 5Kg of pure muscle. He's now tipping the scales at 102Kg, similar to Sailor and Folau in their premiership years. He's expected to be named in Brisbane's Nine's squad, with an eye to the premiership opener against the Cowboys next month.

Coates played three NRL games in 2019, scoring a try on debut against Cronulla in round 16. His meteoric rise took him from the Tweed Heads under-18s in May to a senior Test debut for Papua New Guinea in June before his Broncos blooding two weeks later. Coates is still eligible for NRL rookie of the year in 2020. And he has to be a favourite.

Seibold said:

“I’m giving Xavier an opportunity to play NRL this year. There’s no guarantees for anyone but I’d like to see him, Herbie Farnworth and Corey Oates fighting it out for those wing spots. Xavier has had a very good pre-season so it’s now up to him. He is a real talent. It will be great to see a guy like Xavier at the NRL Nines. It will be exciting for our fans to see the young talent we are bringing through.”

“Xavier was a pretty skinny kid when he arrived 12 months ago but now he’s 102kg. We deliberately took him out of playing with about seven weeks to go last season to bulk him up. We put him in the gym and worked hard on him physically so he would have a headstart for this pre-season. He’s developed really well physically. He is still learning his trade, but he is very humble and doing an education degree so he has interests outside of rugby league. Not only is he a special talent but he is a good person and has attributes I like as a player. Xavier only trained one day a week with the NRL squad last year so it was a hell of a journey for him.”

Nine commentator Scott Sattler, who's watched a fair bit of Coates in the ISC, said:

“With his build and the way he moves, Xavier reminds me of guys like Israel Folau and Greg Inglis. It’s only early days but I watched him against men in the Intrust Super Cup last year and he handled the step up easily like all the special talents tend to do. He’s got a very promising career ahead of him.”

McHunt
 
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"There’s no guarantees for anyone but I’d like to see him, Herbie Farnworth and Corey Oates fighting it out for those wing spots."

Good and bad news.. That more or less confirms Isaako is the Fullback, however it also probably confirms that Boyd & Bird are the Centres with Staggs bench utility / QCUP.
 
"There’s no guarantees for anyone but I’d like to see him, Herbie Farnworth and Corey Oates fighting it out for those wing spots."

Good and bad news.. That more or less confirms Isaako is the Fullback, however it also probably confirms that Boyd & Bird are the Centres with Staggs bench utility / QCUP.

If Boyd's stubbornness leads to Staggs walking out, I will be surely livid.
 
Yeah, this along with Boyd training, in the centres, being on the top of the centre list in that video, and named at centre for the first trial all but confirms it. Boyd will be at centre or no where come round 1.

The fact that Bird has been training multiple positions, and Seibold’s fondness of a dynamic bench utility would have me guess Bird is the one who will make way for Boyd.

Based on the evidence I have noticed here is my predicted round 1 team:

1. Isaako
2. Oates
3. Boyd
4. Staggs
5. Coates
6. Milford
7. Croft
8. Haas
9. Turpin
10. Lodge
11. Glenn (c)
12. Fifita
13. Offa (if not suspended)

14.Bird
15. TPJ
16. Flegler
17. Carrigan

There’s a lot to like about that team but also quite a few areas for concern.

- Boyd still playing.
- Coates/Staggs poor defensive partnership
- can Turpin play 80?
- can Isaako cut it as a NRL fullback?
 
Yeah, this along with Boyd training, in the centres, being on the top of the centre list in that video, and named at centre for the first trial all but confirms it. Boyd will be at centre or no where come round 1.

The fact that Bird has been training multiple positions, and Seibold’s fondness of a dynamic bench utility would have me guess Bird is the one who will make way for Boyd.

Based on the evidence I have noticed here is my predicted round 1 team:

1. Isaako
2. Oates
3. Boyd
4. Staggs
5. Coates
6. Milford
7. Croft
8. Haas
9. Turpin
10. Lodge
11. Glenn (c)
12. Fifita
13. Offa (if not suspended)

14.Bird
15. TPJ
16. Flegler
17. Carrigan

There’s a lot to like about that team but also quite a few areas for concern.

- Boyd still playing.
- Coates/Staggs poor defensive partnership
- can Turpin play 80?
- can Isaako cut it as a NRL fullback?

What video is this? Boyd being on top of the centre list? Surely if Bird is fit he has to be centre with Staggs. Boyd cant make a tackle break ffs
 
1. Bird
2. Oates
3. Boyd
4. Staggs
5. Isaako
???
Bird has been training at FB and will spend time there in the trial...
If he’s fit enough I actually don’t mind it.
 
After seeing his defense in our match against New Zealand last season, homie gotta spend a lot of time learning to defend before we put him in first grade again.
 
Croft should be bursting at the seams with excitement to have a weapon like this on the flank to utilise his short attacking kicking game. Really hope we get to see some more of him this year - although there will likely be just as many excruciating defensive moments as there are exciting aerial attacking moments!
 

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