2 days ago
Queensland coach Billy Slater has opened up astir nan nonaccomplishment of Xavier Coates to his Origin side, revealing that nan Maroons prima was very affectional aft injuring his hamstring.
A shattered Coates limped disconnected AAMI Park connected Saturday nighttime successful Melbourne's 16-6 triumph complete Canberra aft attempting to dive to nan shot and had to beryllium assisted to nan change-rooms by trainers.
The injury, his 2nd hamstring rumor of nan season, has ruled him retired of nan 3rd Origin lucifer successful Brisbane connected July 17.
Slater said he really felt for nan 23-year-old, who is now facing an extended stint connected nan sidelines.
'In position of changes, there's gonna beryllium astatine slightest 1 forced alteration there, but nan guys person sewage to play different information of shot this weekend,' Slater said connected The Billy Slater Podcast.
'You could spot that he was visually dejected stepping down nan tunnel. I was sitting astatine location watching it and emotion for him, because I cognize really difficult he's worked.
'He's had an unthinkable pre-season and worked truthful difficult passim nan season. I was really astatine a training convention passim nan pre-season wherever he really did his hamstring … he was very affectional erstwhile he did it.
Billy Slater (pictured) has spoken astir nan nonaccomplishment of Xavier Coates to his Origin side
Coates limped disconnected AAMI Park connected aft attempting to dive to nan ball
'He's worked truthful difficult and he's specified a awesome personification and he's gonna miss a adjacent chunk of nan play now and evidently he's going to miss nan decider.
'I'm looking guardant to watching nan information of shot and past sitting down pinch Darren Lockyer and Gene Miles connected Sunday nighttime and building Queensland's champion team.'
Slater believes his broadside tin amended connected their showing successful Melbourne, but admits nan Blues were nan amended squad connected nan night.
'I wish I had selective representation loss, but unluckily it's stuck firmly successful nan representation ... it was a disappointing nighttime for each america Queenslanders,' he said.
Coates is simply a large nonaccomplishment for Queensland who will return connected NSW connected July 17 successful nan decider
'We were beaten by a amended side. NSW were a shadiness disconnected being perfect, we had 30 per cent of nan shot and they had 70 and that's thing that we really request to look at.
Game 3 will footwear disconnected astatine Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium connected July 17, pinch nan bookies making Queensland constrictive favourites complete nan Blues contempt nan consequence successful Melbourne.
