Xavier Coates has instantly written himself into the rugby league history books with what is arguably the greatest matchwinning try in the NRL era, sealing a 30-26 victory for the Melbourne Storm in a bonafide barnstormer at AAMI Park on Saturday.
Melbourne, still two points down, was desperate to score anything to stay in the game and first went for a two-point field goal that was denied midway through the final set.
With possession regathered but the two-pointer now out of the question, Papenhuyzen staged a raid down the left side of the field, passing to Remis Smith, who got Coates into space. Then, the miracle: Coates leaped five metres out and defied gravity all the way to the in-goal area, holding off Dallin Watene-Zelezniak as he did.
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“Xavier Coates!” Warren Smith yelled in commentary on Fox League as the moment unfolded. “Can you believe it! He jumped like a rainbow and came up with a pot of gold for Melbourne. Unbelievable.”
The try, which sealed the last-gasp win for the Storm, has to be seen to be believed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bt6DRf7-7jo
And even then, some didn’t believe—including Coates, who had nerves right up until the NRL Bunker double-checked the ground (which was as clean as you like) and gave it the green lights.
“I didn’t really know… there was a bit of adrenaline going,” the match-winner admitted moments later.
“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. I was panicking a bit. I didn’t want to celebrate too early and then it be a no-try, but…. my ears are still ringing at the moment [from the fans], I can’t even really hear.
“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.”
Coates then added: “We do train for these scenarios, knowing we’re down a certain amount of points, [knowing] there’s a way we can fight back and keeping our composure like we said, getting down the field, getting quick play-the-balls. It was a slick play from all the boys in the middle and I got the reward [for that] out on the edge.”
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On the heartbreaker, Warriors coach Andrew Webster said: “When you’ve got a winger who can jump over a skyscraper, it’s pretty amazing. But it’s hard to cheer when you’re feeling this way.”
