LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
The Melbourne Storm website is buzzing with reports of X-Man Xavier Coates swooping in once again to secure a crucial victory for his team as they narrowly defeated the Roosters 18-12 at Allianz Stadium on Thursday night.
With the game tied at 12-12 and only six minutes left on the clock, Coates displayed incredible strength and determination as he bulldozed through three Roosters defenders to score the winning try, sending the Storm to their ninth win in the last 10 meetings against their rivals.
This latest heroics from Coates adds another thrilling chapter to his already impressive highlight reel, following his stunning tries in previous matches against the Warriors and Broncos.
The Storm drew first blood in the 13th minute with Will Warbrick creating chaos from a high ball, leading to Eli Katoa setting up Jahrome Hughes to score his second try of the season.
Nick Meaney's successful conversion put Melbourne ahead 6-0.
The Roosters quickly responded, capitalizing on a well-executed kick from Daniel Tupou, which allowed Michael Jennings to cross the try line after Meaney failed to secure the ball.
Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii's conversion leveled the scores at 6-6.
As the game progressed, both teams struggled with errors, with defensive intensity increasing and the error count reaching eight after just 25 minutes of play.