Melbourne Storm's slender hopes of making the NRL finals have been dealt a major blow, with star winger Xavier Coates ruled out for the season after snapping his Achilles.
Coates was on the comeback trail after injuring his Achilles in the pre-season, requiring surgery that put him out for three months. With State of Origin off the table, the Storm set a target of Round 10 for his return, but that was pushed back as the Queensland representative flyer's recovery proved slower than anticipated.
Coates had resumed running and was looking to integrate with the main squad in the next week when the 25-year-old suffered the crushing injury on Friday at training. "I was running and it just popped," a shattered Coates said. "I was only running at about 50 per cent and it just went."
Coates attended the Storm's match against Newcastle at AAMI Park on Friday night, wearing a moon-boot on his left leg and using a scooter to get around. He is set to undergo another round of surgery after consulting a specialist.
Melbourne have missed the aerial threat of Coates and his try-scoring prowess, having bagged 20 tries in 22 matches last season. The loss of the dynamic winger significantly reduces the Storm's attacking options as they push for a finals berth.
