Fans of the Melbourne Storm and Queensland-Origin are expressing concern after scans confirmed that star winger Xavier Coates will be out for 6-8 weeks due to a hamstring injury.

Coates exited the game with a suspected hamstring strain, adding to his history of such injuries, having missed two weeks earlier this season for a similar issue. Given the nature of the injury, a moderate to high-grade strain is likely, requiring a recovery period of 4-8 weeks.

Coates sustained this injury during Melbourne Storm’s hard-fought 16-6 victory over the Canberra Raiders, raising concerns due to it being a recurrence of a hamstring issue from round eight. The injury overshadowed what should have been a celebratory night, marking Coates’ 50th game for the Storm.

The timing of Coates’ injury is particularly troubling, with the deciding State of Origin game against New South Wales just over two weeks away. Coates has struggled with similar injuries in the past, making this a familiar and frustrating scenario.

The victory over the Raiders highlighted the Storm’s ongoing injury struggles, with several key players sidelined. Coach Craig Bellamy has had to rely on younger players like Sua Fa’alogo and Jack Howarth to fill the gaps.

“Out of our spine, Hughesy (Jahrome Hughes) was the only one that played tonight,” Bellamy noted, praising the team’s resilience. “The guys have to take a lot of credit for the determination they’ve shown. I can’t remember too many pretty wins that we’ve had this year. They’ve just hung in there and got the job done.”

Reflecting on the team’s standing, Bellamy expressed both pride and amazement. “I am proud of that and I know the players are proud of that and it’s sort of hard to believe we are where we are on the table with some of the games that we’ve played, but like I said some of them have been ugly, but we’ve just found a way.”