Australia and Queensland winger Xavier Coates is reportedly set to put pen to paper on a new deal that will keep him at the Melbourne Storm, but with an interesting twist.
Arguably one of the best wingers in the NRL competition, Coates is one of several star players who are able to speak with rival teams in less than two months and would likely garner attention from at least half a dozen teams.
However, his future is now set to be confirmed before he was initially listed to hit the open market at the beginning of November.
After halfback Jahrome Hughes secured his future with a new extension, Coates is set to follow suit, with The Sydney Morning Herald reporting that he will sign a new one-year contract to keep him in Victoria until at least the end of the 2027 season.
Despite the pending extension, the star winger will be available to speak with rivals from November 2026 and will be a free agent when the PNG 2028 expansion side becomes available to recruit players.
“I am happy with my time at Melbourne," Coates said recently in an interview with News Corp.
“I don't know the whole gist of the new NRL team (Papua New Guinea) coming in, but I am happy down in Melbourne, so I'm not focusing too far ahead.
“I don't know how it's going to work, to be honest. I know rugby league is a massive sport in PNG, it's the national sport, so getting a massive fan base around them won't be a trouble at all.
“It would be great to see a lot of players go to PNG and play for them.”
The Melbourne Storm will now turn their attention to retaining dummy-half Harry Grant.
