Inglis inspires Coates

Bai worried that Australia could pick PNG winger for Rugby League World Cup

WORDS of encouragement from his idol Greg Inglis helped convince Papua New Guinea international Xavier Coates to stick with rugby league and fulfil a dream of playing for the Maroons.
Coates, who will again line up on the wing for Queensland in game two of the State of Origin series at ANZ Stadium in Sydney tonight (7.10pm kick-off) after a stunning debut in Adelaide last week, was considering quitting the game after struggling to make junior representative teams.
The Port Moresby-born teenager had aspirations of representing PNG at the Olympics or Commonwealth Games and with a string of Queensland school athletics records to his name, former Kumuls star Marcus Bai contacted the PNG Sport Federation on his behalf.
Bai’s son and Coates’ brother are close friends and schoolmates at Marymount High on the Gold Coast — where another former Melbourne Storm star, Matt Geyer, teaches — and the 1999 premiership-winning teammates were concerned that Coates could be lost to the game.
Inglis, who was Queensland captain, began his illustrious career playing alongside Geyer at the Storm.
“I just basically said to him that if you want it you just have to put your head down and work hard because with the amount of talent you have got, you could be playing Origin – and that is what he is doing now,” Inglis said.
“He wasn’t really wanting, I guess, to go to the next level.
“There were obviously people in front of him and what not but he is getting there now.
“He is only a kid with a lot of talent and a big body, and if he stays injury-free, he will be there for a very long time.”
Bai has also had an influence on Coates’ rapid rise from Currumbin Eagles Under-17s to become a regular in Brisbane’s National Rugby League team and representative player at international and Origin level before his 20th birthday.
After witnessing the development of Coates from a young age through the relationship between their families, Bai tipped Kumuls coach Michael Marum about him in 2018 and he made his Test debut against Samoa last year.
However, Bai initially tried to help Coates, who earlier this season clocked 36.9 km/hr in a match against Newcastle, to pursue an athletics career after his father Michael told the former Kumuls winger that he wanted to represent PNG.
“Xavier was very keen and Michael (Coates) and I spoke about it so I made some phone calls to try and get the PNG Sports Foundation to look at him,” Bai said.
“I was very disappointed that nothing came of it because that was the dream that he wanted to achieve, but it didn’t happen and he concentrated on rugby league instead.
“He nearly gave it up but thanks to the Geyer family … Matt Geyer and Belinda Geyer helped him and helped Michael to motivate him. He just lost a bit of interest and Michael discussed it with them.
“Matt pulled some strings to get Inglis to talk to him and Greg told him to stay in rugby league.
“For Inglis to speak to a kid like that is mountains and mountains of motivation right there.
“He really worked hard in his training and I am just so glad for Xavier and his family.”
Coates, whose mother Edith is from Iokea, Gulf, is the third Papua New Guinean to play State of Origin after Adrian Lam and Neville Costigan.
According to Marum, the interest in the only nation in the world where rugby league is the official sport has reached an all-time high after centre Justin Olam helped Melbourne win the grand final and Coates starred in Queensland’s 18-14 Origin triumph over New South Wales.
“It has been a good period for us because of Justin and Xavier,” Marum said.
“There are a few Blues supporters around but it’s mostly Queensland because of Xavier.
“My only concern is that Mal Meninga might pick him in the Kangaroos squad for the World Cup.”
Bai said Coates would inspire others in PNG to believe they could play at the highest level.
“Xavier has not just done himself and his family proud, but the whole of PNG proud and stories like this are massive, massive news for Papua New Guineans — and especially for our kids,” he said.
“We are crazy about rugby league, we love rugby league, we will talk about rugby league from morning to afternoon to late in the night and to have a story like Xavier playing State of Origin, the papers will be passed on from one person to another.
“They will be all barracking for Queensland to win the series with one of PNG’s sons, as they call Xavier up there.
“Xavier will inspire all of the kids in PNG to want to be like him.”
After scoring Queensland’s first try as they fought back from 0-10 down at halftime to win 18-14 on Wednesday, Andrew Johns said Coates reminded him of Inglis, whom he had grown up idolising along with former Kumuls captain David Mead.
“Physically, he looks like Greg Inglis but in that era of dominance when Queensland needed to score a try it was always Inglis who scored and I reckon Xavier could be a similar player,” Johns said on Monday.
“He can just score a try at the right time.” – NRL